This year marks 30 years since the service was first founded, and its purpose remains as vital today as it was in 1996: offering something simple yet profoundly important — a friendly, confidential listening ear from those who understand the unique pressures of pharmacy life.
For three decades, Pharmacist Support’s Listening Friends service has been quietly but powerfully supporting the pharmacy community—one conversation at a time. This year marks 30 years since the service was first founded, and its purpose remains as vital today as it was in 1996: to offer something simple yet profoundly important: a friendly, confidential listening ear from those who understand the unique pressures of pharmacy life.
This year marks three decades of Listening Friends, a milestone that reflects both the enduring need for peer support within pharmacy and the strength of a service built on trust, empathy and care.
The service began when Sue Sharpe, then Director of legal services at the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, and Alan Nathan, then a member of the Society’s Council co‑founded the Listening Friends stress help scheme, responding to a clear gap in support for pharmacists going through fitness to practice proceedings that other organisations were not meeting at the time. Thirty years on, Listening Friends continues to go from strength to strength as a trusted Peer Support service, helping thousands of pharmacists, students, trainees and retired pharmacists through challenging moments, without judgement.
Listening Friends is built on trust. The service is confidential and is not affiliated with any governing body. It exists so members of our pharmacy family can speak freely about what is troubling them—whether related to work, study or life beyond work.
What makes the service truly special is its people. Every Listening Friend is a practising or retired pharmacist who understands first-hand the realities of studying and working within the profession. Their role is simple but powerful: to listen with care, empathy and openness.
Kathryn Featherstone a former Listening Friend who helped set up the service 30 years ago said:
“My involvement was rooted in gratitude. Pharmacy had been good to me, and I saw Listening Friends as a meaningful way to give something back.
I have many standout memories from my time with Listening Friends. I valued the collaboration among the national coordinators and the opportunity to meet regularly to reflect, develop ideas, and shape training”.
Since 2020, the service has continued to evolve in response to the needs of those it supports. An online form now allows users to reach out at a time that suits them, while Listening Friends receive bespoke training in areas such as active listening, recognising trauma, responding to crisis situations, neurodiversity and equality, diversity and inclusion. Monthly peer support sessions with a qualified clinical supervisor ensures both ongoing support for Listening Friends and the continued quality of the service.
Listening Friends offers confidential support for a wide range of concerns, including anxiety about studies, workplace stress or bullying, difficulties in relationships, low mood, or challenges with confidence and social connection.
As one Listening Friend shares:
Thirty years on, Listening Friends remains a source of warmth, understanding and reassurance— quietly listening, consistently caring, and standing alongside the pharmacy community when it matters most. Proof that sometimes, the most powerful support starts with simply being heard.
We will continue to develop our Listening Friends’ service to ensure that it continues to serve our pharmacy family.
If you need us or know someone who needs support, you can find more information here – Support & guidance
Listening Friend service
