The Safer Pharmacies Charter was backed by Jonathon Ashworth MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Health, when it was launched at the House of Commons in December 2017.
“We are pleased to have the endorsement of the Welsh Government for this campaign and we know that delivering a safe working environment means working with staff, patients and employers,” said Claire Ward, PDA Director of Public Affairs. “Wales has led the way but we will be talking to relevant parties and organisations across all parts of the UK to get them to sign up to this important campaign.”
The Safer Pharmacies Charter will be circulated along with the PDA’s Violence in Pharmacy policy and resource pack as part of a joint campaign by the PDA and Community Pharmacy Wales (CPW).
The Violence in Pharmacy documents were produced by the PDA as a result of a number of their members raising cases of violence perpetrated against pharmacy staff. The endorsement of CPW for this initiative recognises the importance of employers supporting staff and assessing the risks that they may face.
The initiative has been given the backing of Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Vaughan Gething AM, who visited a pharmacy in his constituency in Wales to lend his support to the campaign.
“Pharmacies are a vital resource in our local communities and we want to ensure that all staff have the best and safest working environment possible to deliver high quality patient care,” said Vaughan Gething. “We must take a zero-tolerance approach to violence towards staff in pharmacies and these resources will help pharmacists and companies to assess the risks and take appropriate action. The charter defines some of the basic standards pharmacists should expect wherever they work so they can focus their time and judgement on helping deliver great care to patients.”
Russell Goodway, CPW’s Chief Executive, said: “Community pharmacy contractors are committed to protecting staff from violence and will work with their employees to identify potential risks. It is in everyone’s interest to create the best possible environment for people to work and provide great quality care for patients.”
