GPhC: Non-white pharmacists ‘over-represented’ in FtP concerns
The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has found that white pharmacists were under-represented in Fitness-to-Practise (FtP) concerns it received in 2021/22.
The GPhC last week (October 12) revealed that white and female pharmacists were under-represented in the FtP concerns it received last year.
A new analysis published by the regulator looked at the concerns it received and investigated about pharmacists in 2021/22, as well as their outcomes and progress through the process.
It “only analysed concerns where an individual [was] identified” and only counted individuals once, even if multiple concerns had been raised about them, the report said.
The analysis showed that there were “significantly fewer concerns received for white ethnicity and over-representation of concerns received for all other ethnicities” except “mixed” and those who selected “prefer not to say”.
It also found a “statistically significant” over-representation of concerns received for male pharmacists, as well as an over-representation of pharmacists under the age of 25.
Further analysis found “no relationship” between ethnicity and concerns that went on to be investigated by the regulator, “except” for those of Asian ethnicity, according to the report.
And the GPhC said that it found “no relationship” between ethnicity or age with the statutory outcome of FtP cases.
But it found an under-representation of female pharmacists and over-representation of male pharmacists receiving statutory outcomes, it added.
“No doubt that racism in pharmacy continues”
Reacting to the data analysis, GPhC chair Gisela Abbam said that there was “no doubt that racism in pharmacy continues to be an issue”.
She stressed that as the regulatory body that is “accountable for doing the right thing and making fair decisions”, the GPhC needs “to tackle this together and in a sustained way”.
Chief executive of the GPhC Duncan Rudkin said that the analysis was “an important first step” to understand the factors that contribute to FtP concerns and “whether [GPhC] processes themselves contribute to disproportionate experiences”.
He added that the regulator recognises that it has “more to do to understand why [it is] seeing over-representation of certain groups” and said it is “continuing to make changes and improvements to [its] processes”.
It comes after the first-ever Pharmacy Workforce Race Equality Standard (WRES) report last month found that “pharmacy team members of black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) origin” faced “more harassment, bullying and abuse” and “poorer career progression” than white colleagues.
