The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has launched its first-ever “workforce wellbeing survey” focusing on pharmacy students, foundation trainees and early career pharmacists, it this week (November 4) announced.
The survey, launched in partnership with Pharmacist Support, the British Pharmaceutical Students’ Association (BPSA) and the Pharmacy Schools Council (PhSC), aims to “better understand” students’ and early career pharmacists’ “mental health, wellbeing and expectations of workplace support”, it said.
While the “workforce wellbeing survey” takes place annually, this is the first time it has focused on these groups, an RPS representative confirmed to C+D.
Read more: RPS calls for ‘clearer’ regulation of private prescribing
The RPS said that the student survey “explores wellbeing, study experiences and expectations of workplace support”, while the trainee and early career pharmacist survey “focuses on workplace conditions, mental health and support needs” during “early career stages”.
It added that responses will help the groups involved “understand current wellbeing, study and workplace experiences”, “identify barriers and enablers to progression and job satisfaction” and “shape targeted wellbeing resources, services and advocacy”.
Both surveys are live and will be open until 5pm on December 2, it said.
“Vital” insights
RPS president Professor Claire Anderson said that “people experience different pressures at all stages of their pharmacy career” and “wellbeing should be a priority right from the very start”.
“This survey will help ensure the voices of students, trainees and early career pharmacists are heard and that meaningful support is provided where it’s needed most,” she added.
Read more: Pharmacy training lead questions how some trainees ‘got through’
Pharmacist Support chief executive Danielle Hunt said that insights from the survey “will be vital in shaping the preventative, evidence-based support and resources” the charity provides.
“Together with our partners, we want to build a culture where wellbeing is prioritised from the very start of a pharmacy career and continues throughout working life,” she said.
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It comes after the RPS called for “stronger safeguards in private prescribing” in its response to the Department of Health and Social Care’s (DH) call for evidence on “private non-NHS prescribing” in the UK.
Published this week, the RPS submission highlighted a number of concerns with current private prescribing practice and set out a list of recommendations including “clearer” regulation and “better” data sharing between private providers and the NHS.
