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Pharmacist Support provided over 1,500 individual acts of support to pharmacists and their families, former pharmacists, pre-registration trainees and pharmacy students in 2013

PHARMACIST SUPPORT, the profession's independent charity, says 2013 was a year of development as it researched, trialled and evaluated three new services, developed a new, more user-friendly and mobileaccessible website, and launched its very first e-newsletter.

The 1,500+ individual acts of support undertaken in 2013 included providing 164 individuals with financial assistance, making 261 Listening Friends calls to those struggling with a range of stressful situations and 189 referrals to specialist advisers at the Citizens Advice Bureau (who secured over a million pounds' worth of gains for service users via state benefits, debt rescheduling/consolidation or write-off, and pay entitlements from employers).

Biggest growth

The biggest growth, however, was seen in the number of enquiries received via telephone, email, online and live chat through the pharmacist support website €“ a 43 per cent increase on 2012 figures. Although the majority of these enquiries came from people who are or have been registered as a pharmacist, the charity saw a 13 per cent increase in enquiries from pre-registration trainees (up from 14 per cent in 2012 to 27 per cent in 2013).

In 2012, the two largest areas of enquiry were financial issues (36 per cent) and employment (23 per cent). In 2013 there was a decrease in financial issues (down to 25 per cent), a slight increase in employment (up to 25 per cent) and a noticeable rise in pre-registration issues (up from 11 to 24 per cent to be back in line with 2011 figures).

The dominant issues for pharmacists were:

€¢ Employment (42 per cent)

€¢ Financial issues (28 per cent)

€¢ Regulation and practice (18 per cent).

In employment enquiries the three main issues for pharmacists were:

€¢ Looking for work (28 per cent) €¢ Disciplinary issues (14 per cent)

€¢ Workplace stress (13 per cent).

Enquiries from pre-registration trainees were almost entirely related to specific pre-registration issues (81 per cent). Of these, the key issues in particular were failing the registration assessment (28 per cent) and problems with a tutor (14 per cent).

A large part of the charity's work last year was around the development of new pilot services. This included a wellbeing service, a student bursary scheme and careers coaching.

€Following a generous legacy in memory of pharmacy owner Robert Wardley in 2012, who wanted his gift to be used to support pharmacists in stress, the charity was able to research, develop and run a series of pilot wellbeing workshops and an online etherapy tool,€ says charity chair, Professor Peter Noyce.

€Both this service and the student bursary pilot were evaluated and trustees now look forward to formally rolling them out across Great Britain in the autumn of 2014.€

Commenting on the year's activities, charity manager Diane Leicester-Hallam, said: €It's been a busy year for the team here in Manchester, which culminated in an office move to larger premises in December 2013. This expansion continued online with the launch of our new website that now hosts and showcases this year's annual review.

€The activities of our evolving charity are presented this year as a series of digital slides that graphically narrate readers through the charity's latest achievements. A pocketsized booklet accompanies the digital review.€

To view the digital slides visit www.annualreview2013.pharmacistsupport.org.

To request a printed copy of the review, contact marketing @pharmacistsupport.org or call 0161 441 0811.