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Pharmacist Support — a charity working for pharmacists and their families, former pharmacists and pharmacy students to provide help and support — has announced that it will be able to offer personal coaching to more pharmacists after expanding its partnership with Boots.
The announcement follows the success of a Boots-funded pilot, carried out in 2017, which offered a small number of pharmacists six, hour-long sessions with a trained life coach. The sessions were focused on work-related and personal issues, such as dealing and negotiating with colleagues, building resilience, assertiveness and confidence, as well as managing stress and anxiety.
Pharmacist Support said the pilot was “extremely well received” with individuals reporting that the coaching had “improved all areas” of their lives. As a result, the charity now intends to explore ways to develop this service, with the ongoing support of Boots, and open it up to all pharmacists.
“In a time that continues to be challenging for the profession, it is crucial the charity works in partnership with organisations such as Boots to tackle head-on the issues facing pharmacists, trainees and MPharm students today,” said Danielle Hunt, chief executive of Pharmacist Support.
“It is down to donations such as this one that allow us to continue to make a difference.”
Marc Donovan, chief pharmacist at Boots, said that the company was keen to ensure that there was support available for all pharmacists to help them manage the stresses they face. He said the company had been working with Pharmacy Support on a range of wellbeing projects for a number of years.
Boots would not disclose how much money it had donated to Pharmacist Support for the coaching scheme.
