Courtesy, GPhC
The independent regulator for pharmacy in Great Britain has launched the first of two online workshops to help it work out how best it can support and promote professionalism and quality in pharmacy services.
The first workshop will run until 31 January 2017; the date for the second workshop has not been decided.
The workshops — which were announced at the General Pharmaceutical Council’s (GPhC) ‘Professionalism under pressure’ seminar, held in October 2016 — aim to collect the views of pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and pharmacy owners to better understand what quality in pharmacy means and how it is measured. They will also focus on what factors enable quality services and factors that hinder them, as well as looking at safety, effectiveness and the patient experience.
The GPhC says it will reflect on the feedback it receives and share findings with stakeholders. It will then engage with patients and members of the public who use pharmacy services to explore potential differences between what quality care means to them, and what it means to pharmacy professionals and owners.
Duncan Rudkin, chief executive of the GPhC, says: “This discussion on what quality means in pharmacy is particularly important at a time when there are growing expectations of how pharmacy can support people’s health and well-being, and when pharmacy professionals are reporting they are experiencing pressures that could potentially affect the quality of care they provide.”
All pharmacists and pharmacy technicians registered with the GPhC, along with pharmacy owners, will be invited via email to take part in the online workshop.
