Pharmacists’ pay, welfare and future

My experience of working full time and going to locuming to balance work/life balance in different sectors of pharmacy gave me an insight into how important our welfare as well as our pay, salary as pharmacists can impact on our day-to-day activities.

Working in hospital, community, GP practice and other sectors of pharmacy has shown how important our welfare is in terms of working conditions, contracts, salary, hours of pay, rates of pay, continuous professional developments etc. 

We all know this and it’s important with our society we continue to work with our employers to investigate pharmacist welfare.

If elected to the Royal Pharmaceutical Society English Pharmacy Board, I am keen to explore these issues to ensure that workable solutions are identified and enacted. 

I would also like to use the opportunity of being on board to work on the continuous pharmacy workforce support for pharmacies, technicians, dispensers and pharmacy assistants. supporting their careers progression and the advancement of pharmacy workforce through training, mentoring, supporting and signposting to other institutions to achieve further accreditations. 

I would also like to foster engagement with pharmacy teams within all sectors, ranging from community, GP, to primary care and secondary care to ensure standards are maintained and we can learn from each other, This will support more sustainable NHS ensuring pharmacists are part of its key component aligning with other pharmacy visions.

Another important element is locum pay and payment issues, which vary from employer to employer, affecting pharmacist welfare and productivity owing to lateness in payments, staff shortages, lower rates per hour and unhealthy pharmacy environments.

If elected, I am keen to explore those areas of welfare issues with the board, those areas affecting pharmacists in pharmacy supporting our welfare and improving productivity.

Sherifat Muhammad Kamal, English Pharmacy Board candidate