Who we are
Pharmacist Support is powered by a small team of staff members and trustees and many volunteers from across our pharmacy family. Together, we're passionate, driven and deeply committed to championing wellbeing within the profession.
The profession’s independent charity!
Pharmacist Support is a well-established, independent and trusted charity supporting pharmacists and their families, former pharmacists, trainee pharmacists and pharmacy students. We provide a wide variety of free and confidential support services, including Information and Enquiries, Specialist Advice, Financial Assistance, Addiction Support, Counselling and Peer Support, and the Wardley Wellbeing Service. We’re proud to be able to support people from such a caring profession and each year we provide thousands of acts of support. By championing wellbeing, Pharmacist Support’s vision is for no one in our pharmacy family to face challenging times without us by their side.
Our Vision
No one in our pharmacy family will face challenging times without us by their side
Our Mission
To champion the wellbeing of our pharmacy family
Our Values
- People First – We are compassionate. We listen. We are empathetic. We bring people together.
- Empowerment – We make good things happen. We encourage and build resilience. We create positive impact.
- Positivity – We believe in better. We champion our pharmacy family. We never give up.
- Fairness – We are non-judgemental. We are independent. We work with integrity.
Our connection to the profession is deep
We were established by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB) in 1841, and have since grown from our Benevolent Fund roots into a modern day charity. We are committed to working with partners across the profession as we strive for an empowered and resilient pharmacy workforce and a time when no one in our pharmacy family has to face challenging times alone. Our team of trustees and staff, alongside our army of volunteers, work to champion wellbeing and deliver much needed support to our pharmacy family.
We want to make good things happen.
We’ve listened carefully to people from all sectors of the profession, and deeply empathise with the issues affecting pharmacy today. In our 2019 market research 97% of all potential service users surveyed felt they needed some form of support from the charity. Concerningly, 71% of all respondents cited mental health as a key issue affecting the sector.
We're proud to be able to support people from such a caring profession, and we'll never give up on what we like to call our pharmacy 'family'.
Our Strategy
During 2024 we carried out a review of our strategy and developed a new five year strategy to run from 2025 – 2029. Over the next five years we will work to:
- Raise awareness of Pharmacist Support and the wellbeing agenda within the profession
- Build relationships with organisations and individuals to increase the charity’s reach and impact
- Develop and deliver support to meet the diverse and changing needs of our pharmacy family enabling them to improve their wellbeing
- Build and manage the charity effectively and sustainably, raising vital funds and utilising technology to ensure that we meet current and future demand
By 2030 we want:
- More people to be aware of who we are, what we do and the key issues impacting wellbeing within the pharmacy profession
- More organisations and individuals from across the pharmacy sector to be actively working with the charity to improve the wellbeing of our pharmacy family
- More of our pharmacy family are able to access wellbeing support which meets their diverse needs and improves their wellbeing
- To be more financially sustainable to enable us to meet the current and future needs and demands of our pharmacy family
Our Commitment to Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion
Pharmacist Support is committed to promoting equality, valuing diversity, and creating an inclusive environment for all who work with or access its services. We want to ensure people are treated fairly, equitably and are offered equal access and opportunities. This applies to our beneficiaries and supporters as well as our staff, volunteers and Trustees.
In 2021, the charity set about developing an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) strategy and action plan. At this time, we recognised we had a lot to learn and started on our journey to better developing our knowledge and understanding.
Funding and meeting demand
Through the generous support of our charity partners as well as individuals, we continue to develop and deliver support to meet the changing needs of those in the profession. However, demand continues to rise and we continue to seek more support for our work.
Individuals support us in many ways such as by setting up a monthly direct debit, making a one-off donation, joining TEAMGreen by fundraising for us, or leaving a gift in their will. This support has a significant impact on the charity and one example is the significant gift left in the will of pharmacist Robert Wardley. Robert wanted his legacy to be used to help relieve the stress experienced by pharmacists. Thanks to his donation we were able to develop a new wellbeing service that, since it’s launch in 2013, has assisted thousands of individuals to seek proactive support for their wellbeing.
Organisations in the profession support us by providing direct donations, partnering with us to deliver activity and by helping us to raise awareness of the charity through their networks.
