A course shaped by real challenges in pharmacy
In January 2024, Pharmacist Support launched Embracing a Workplace Wellbeing Culture — a course designed to help pharmacy managers, leaders and supervisors create more supportive, positive working environments.
It was developed in response to findings from joint workforce wellbeing surveys with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, which continue to highlight the pressures facing the profession. High levels of burnout remain a concern, with many pharmacy professionals reporting that factors such as limited work-life balance, lack of protected learning time and insufficient support are affecting their mental health and wellbeing.
Beyond pharmacy, this challenge is widely recognised. Research from mental health charity Mind shows that many employers want to do more to support staff wellbeing but feel they lack the training or guidance to do so.
In response, this course focuses on giving pharmacy leaders practical, evidence-based tools to build healthier workplace cultures and support their teams more effectively.
Supporting wellbeing in modern pharmacy teams
For Shilpa Shah, CEO of Community Pharmacy North East London, the course came at the right time as her organisation grew and evolved.
“I was excited to start this course, as we have increased the number of employees in our organisation, and I wanted to ensure that we are doing everything we can to look after people’s wellbeing. We all work remotely and some of my colleagues predominantly work from home. It is important that, as a leader I can recognise if there is a shift in someone’s wellbeing, which isn’t as easy when you don’t see people regularly face to face. I was hoping that this course would give me the tools to help and support the wellbeing of individuals in my team.
With life and work being so busy it’s often difficult to carve out time for self-development so being able to work on something at your own pace in bite size pieces is very useful.
Flexible learning that fits around busy roles
“The course is divided into six modules that cover topics, including building resilience, communication tools, and workplace adjustments. I love that you get a workbook that you can download as I am trying to go paperless where I can (though I still have a notebook and added the modules to my “to do” list!).
“The modules were easy to work through and you could pace yourself and work through them in your own time. With life and work being so busy it’s often difficult to carve out time for self-development so being able to work on something at your own pace in bite size pieces is very useful. The modules are a mix of quick easy videos and simple tasks to complete, to check your understanding. The workbook activities give you a chance to reflect on what you’ve learnt and prompt you to think a bit more about what you have covered via the online modules. I found the workbook useful as it made you stop and reflect, something we don’t often find time to do.
A different approach to leadership and mental health
“The modules cover some of the familiar tools used in leadership workshops/training such as Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, that many of us will have come across before, but what I found different about this course is that it also delves into understanding mental health better (and isn’t afraid to do so). Many traditional leadership training courses cover various theories and how to implement them. This course focuses on how to create a wellbeing culture in the workplace – with the current climate and pressures we are working under in all sectors of pharmacy, this is very much needed.
Creating workplaces where people can thrive
“The course encourages you to think about your communication and leadership style. Some experienced leaders may have covered this before, I found it a good refresher. For newer leaders it really allows you to stop and reflect on your leadership style and how you can adapt it to support people struggling with their wellbeing in the workplace. The course also makes you think about creating a positive workplace, this isn’t about high performing teams but about how people feel. By creating a positive workplace culture and allowing people to feel safe to voice their concerns, you will create a place where people want to work. This will improve retention and ultimately performance.
As an experienced leader that has worked in various community pharmacy environments and leading people who all have different needs, I found this course refreshing, easy to complete and thought provoking.
Embracing a Workplace Wellbeing Culture
Find out how you can make a positive impact on your team and workplace environment through our Embracing a Workplace Wellbeing Culture course for pharmacy managers, supervisors, and leaders.