RPS NEWS
ROYAL PHARMACEUTICAL SOCIETY SCOTLAND ROUND-UP SCOTTISH PHARMACISTS HAVE VITAL
ROLE IN MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT
Our Inclusion and Diversity Strategy
We recently published our plan on Inclusion and Diversity – a strategy for pharmacy 2020-2025.
RPS in Scotland has called for an exploration of new models of care which enable pharmacists to better support people with their mental health. At a national roundtable event held in its Edinburgh office, policymakers, politicians and practitioners met with leading community pharmacists to discuss how pharmacists could play a greater role in the provision of mental health services.
We’re committed to making We recently published our plan on Inclusion and Diversity – a strategy for pharmacy
2020-2025.inclusion and diversity (I&D) central to the way we champion the pharmacy profession - to celebrate and encourage diverse voices across pharmacy. Our aim is to be truly representative of our members and our patients, creating a workplace in which everyone feels they can be themselves and thrive.
Participants heard from pharmacists across Scotland about their current role and how it could be developed to further benefit patients.
Pharmacists play an important role in their community, providing patients with advice on their medication; spotting the early signs of mental health conditions; and in places form part of a network of interdisciplinary medical teams. However, patients could benefit even more if the role of pharmacists was better recognised and their contributions integrated within primary care.
We are working on an RPS in Scotland policy which calls for an exploration of new models of care which enable pharmacists working in all settings to better support patients with mental health conditions with their medicines, with early interventions, monitoring
Last year, we committed to improving I&D within the profession, appointing an independent chair, Asif Sadiq MBE, to oversee our activities. We asked for your views in a comprehensive survey that pinpointed our strengths and
22 - SCOTTISH PHARMACIST 22 - SCOTTISH PHARMACIST
COVID19 has had a disproportionate impact on our Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic patients, friends, families and colleagues. It's shone a bright light on health inequalities. The Black Lives Matter movement has highlighted that unacceptable racism, injustice and prejudice are issues that remain unresolved in wider society.
We've heard the calls for faster action on tackling discrimination experienced by colleagues across pharmacy, healthcare, the NHS and society. We'll be working with those with lived experiences across our profession to address any prejudice based on race.
weaknesses as a profession, and worked with pharmacists and stakeholders across England, Scotland and Wales to explore areas in need of change.
and referrals to specialist services when necessary. Pharmacists could also provide more formal follow-up care to patients and work as part of multidisciplinary teams.
‘We believe that pharmacists are vital to the delivery of the Scottish Government’s Mental Health Strategy,’ said Jonathan Burton, Chair of the RPS Scottish Pharmacy Board, ‘and could play a leading role in multidisciplinary teams. Working in the community, pharmacists see people more often than any other health professional and provide holistic care. There are great examples across the country from universities and rural communities to areas of deprivation where pharmacists are providing much- needed support.
Those discussions flagged disability as the area needing the most support and improvement, followed closely by age and race. Disability was also perceived to be the biggest barrier to working in pharmacy, with other barriers including age, pregnancy and maternity status. In response, we’ve set clear objectives to address these concerns.
Our Inclusion and Diversity Strategy is a plan for, and by, pharmacy. Its initiatives support both immediate and long-term changes based on three priorities: • Create a culture of belonging • Champion inclusive and authentic leadership
• Challenge Inclusion & Diversity barriers
‘As experts in all aspects of medicines, pharmacists are often best placed to review a patient’s overall medication and will take a holistic approach to an individual’s conditions. We can improve the quality of their care by ensuring that they are getting the most benefit from the medicines they are taking and reducing the risk of harm.’
We’ve already acted on our commitment to publish our ethnicity and gender pay gaps here at RPS. We aren’t legally required to do this, but it’s the right thing to do, as we believe in leading by example. Our next step will be to set up an action group to enable networking and delivery of our ambitious strategy.
The RPS in Scotland mental health policy will be finalised by the end of the year and will be available on our website:
www.rpharms.com
There’s still a long way to go, but this report is our public commitment to an ambitious inclusion and diversity programme over the next five years. We’ll work with you every step of the way to create positive change for the profession.
After extensive discussions with members, patient groups and others, we’ve set out our views on the future of pharmacy. We’ve captured important learnings from the pandemic response and explored the varied contributions the pharmacy profession can make to the NHS.
We want to ensure the innovative practice, collaborative approaches and positive changes that happened during COVID-19 are not lost, and that these are developed to improve patient care and the use of pharmacists’ expertise while further integrating pharmacy into the NHS.
• There is potential for community pharmacies to be public health and healthy living hubs, focusing
FUTURE OF PRIMARY CARE RPS in Scotland gave oral evidence to the Health and Sport Committee’s inquiry into the future of primary care in Scotland on Tuesday 1 October, alongside Community Pharmacy Scotland, the British Dental Association and Optometry Scotland.
Jonathan Burton, Chair of the Scottish Pharmacy Board, emphasised the need for transformational change in order to achieve real integration between primary care services. He also highlighted the need for full read and write access to the patient health record as well as raising awareness of the workforce pressures faced by pharmacists across Scotland.
RPS in Scotland also submitted written evidence to the inquiry. Key points from our submission include:
Our policy document ‘The future of pharmacy in a sustainable NHS’ maps out key recommendations under three main priorities: • Supporting and valuing the pharmacy workforce
• Supporting an integrated NHS • Innovation
The future of pharmacy RPS IN SCOTLAND GIVES EVIDENCE ON THE
‘We’re clear that losing any key benefits to patient care and pharmacy practice that resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic is not an option,’ RPS President Sandra Gidley said.
on obesity management, lifestyle changes, social prescribing and vaccinations to increase capacity and uptake
‘Much of the pandemic was extremely challenging but many positives have also emerged. Examples include flexible opening hours, which have given teams opportunities for professional development and time to focus on complex queries. Protected and funded learning time must be embedded within workforce planning.
• Community pharmacists, GP practice and secondary care colleagues need to work together more closely as well as with the wider multidisciplinary team
• Timely sharing of information between pharmacists in hospital, GP practice and community is essential and an important element of keeping people safe as they move with their medicines across health and social care systems
NEW HOME FOR RPS IN SCOTLAND
Aileen Bryson retires from RPS
We’re pleased to announce that after months of renovation, weeks of packing and a busy few days of unpacking, the RPS in Scotland has now officially moved to its new home in Edinburgh’s New Town.
RPS Scotland said farewell to Deputy Director, Aileen Bryson at the end of June, after nine years working within the policy and practice team.
This move is not about a building, or about RPS Scotland. It is about being able to provide a focal point for members and the wider profession. The new office is a home for all RPS staff and members and it is hoped that members will see it as
‘Aileen has been instrumental in supporting and promoting pharmacy in Scotland and has been a valued and supportive colleague,’ said Jonathan Burton, Chair of the Scottish Pharmacy Board. ‘She was due to retire in April, but selflessly stayed on to help with the COVID-19 programme and has had an important role in our work to build a better future for pharmacy.’
The new mentoring platform unites pharmacists from all sectors and career stages to share experiences and build professionally supportive relationships.
‘Aileen’s contribution to the work of RPS, the Scottish Pharmacy Board and the Scottish Directorate team has been significant,’ added Alex
Newer pharmacist? Find a mentor who can offer impartial help
and guidance to accelerate your development, improve your career
‘We will work with Governments, the NHS, employers and others to ensure our recommendations become the ‘new normal’ across all areas of practice. Pharmacy is at an important crossroads and the decisions and actions taken now will be critical in crafting the future we want for pharmacy and our patients.’
somewhere they can visit and spend time.
The new address for the team in Scotland is: 44 Melville Street, EH3 7HF, Edinburgh.
You can still get in touch with us by email and phone on 0131 556 4386 and
scotinfo@rpharms.com.
Aileen Bryson
We are starting to plan some exciting events to celebrate the opening of the new office. Watch out for more details coming soon.
NEW MENTORING PLATFORM TO SUPPORT YOU prospects and build self-confidence.
In October we launched a new mentoring platform exclusively for members. The scheme connects newer and more experienced pharmacists to benefit each other and the profession.
MacKinnon, RPS Scotland Director. ‘It has been an absolute delight working with Aileen over what has been almost a decade. Aileen’s skills and contribution in the areas of advocacy, policy development and stakeholder engagement have been much valued by all of her colleagues in the organisation and indeed in the wider external marketplace. Working with Aileen has been inspiring, with lots of memories, lots of positive outcomes and lots of challenges overcome. She will be greatly missed by everyone and I wish her a very long and happy retirement.’
The Committee is continuing its evidence gathering throughout November. You can read our written evidence in full on the Scottish Parliament’s website:
www.parliament.scot
More experienced pharmacist? Use the platform as a way of sharing your knowledge and expertise to give back to the profession and give colleagues of the future a helping hand.
Any RPS member can join the platform as a mentor or mentee. The new mentoring platform then takes your details and begins to look for a match. When one is found, both mentor and mentee can review the suggestion.
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