Speaking exclusively to C+D at the local pharmaceutical committee conference earlier this month, Diane Leicester-Hallam stressed the charity exists to support the profession, but said: “We’re not always going to tell you what you want to hear; we’re going to give you a slice of realism."

Ms Leicester-Hallam – who also attended the General Pharmaceutical Council’s event on workplace pressures last month – agreed with its verdict that “this is not an issue the regulator can take on alone”.

“It’s about enabling people to make their own decisions,” she said.

“Every profession has targets and every year they change. In pharmacy, it might be medicines use reviews one year, then flu vaccinations the next, but targets aren’t always a bad thing. You just have to find the right balance.”

She recognised that “a lot of people feel disgruntled at the moment”, but stressed that “it’s hard to know why people think it should be any different, if they are not prepared to actually make a difference themselves”.

Pharmacist Support is launching new workshops next year, focussed on mental health and greater awareness of others, Ms Leicester-Hallam added.