In their own words: Pharmacists facing workplace pressure
C+D readers share their worries about how increasing workplace pressure impacts them and their pharmacies
The issue of workplace pressure has been among the most widely debated in UK community pharmacy in recent months, prompting the General Pharmaceutical Council to launch a “programme of work” to address the issue, and discuss how best to support pharmacists.
Ahead of its launch, we asked you to tell us the ways that workplace pressure affects you in your pharmacy.
Here’s just a selection – we will publish more here.
“We have to take work home because of the constant pressure”
The pressures in our pharmacy are quite strong – it affects our workplace and our overall wellbeing.
A couple of us are doing the dispensary course, but because of the constant work pressures surrounding us, we are unable to get any work done – so we are resorting to doing it at home.
The pressure can get too much for a very small pharmacy with limited staff, and it does affect the way we work and how we manage our day-to-day tasks.
A Lloydspharmacy employee
“Ever-increasing demands”
Not only are the demands during working hours ever-increasing, but I’ve now found out that my company expects us to give up a Sunday to attend flu vaccination training, without getting any overtime for the time we are giving up. Here’s the email I got from my manager:
“Unfortunately, the business has made the decision that overtime will not be payable for flu training this year.”
An anonymous pharmacist
“Locums won’t be booked if they don’t pay for training”
I’m a locum at a chain, and managers have been telling their locums they won’t be booked if they don’t take part in the flu service.
The company, however, is expecting locums to pay for their training themselves.
I am assured by head office that this won’t be the case and that it is not mandatory to offer the service.
But I think they forgot to tell their managers, because I know locums are either having their shifts taken off them, or have been told that they will not be booked from October onwards.
A locum
Read one anonymous pharmacist's blog about the pressure and threats they receive at a multiple
We want to hear more of your experiences – and your solutions – for the workplace pressure crisis facing the sector.
Email us at [email protected]
How is workplace pressure affecting your pharmacy?