Rest Breaks Essential For Pharmacists And Pharmacy Technicians Says Society, UK

Main Category: Pharmacy / Pharmacist
Article Date: 31 Aug 2009 - 1:00 PDT

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The Council of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPSGB) is calling for adequate rest breaks for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in the latest development in its workplace pressures campaign.

Taking a proper break is critical for ensuring that these professionals are able to deliver the best possible service to patients, the public and their peers in healthcare.

The RPSGB aims to raise awareness of this issue within the profession so that employers and employees are aware of the potential risks of pharmacy professionals working long hours without taking a rest. Ahead of the RPSGB's annual British Pharmaceutical Conference, which opens in Manchester on September 6, the Society is urging the pharmacy workforce, employers and pharmacy organisations to also join them in publicly demonstrating their support.

The Council of the RPSGB has taken a firm position on workplace pressures in general and on rest breaks in particular, and strongly recommends that employers ensure that pharmacists and pharmacy technicians:

- are given adequate rest breaks;
- actually take those breaks and
- avoid working for long periods without such breaks.

Society President, Steve Churton, says; "We've been listening to many of the issues affecting our professions' workforce since this campaign began, and one of the key issues is the impact of pharmacists working for long periods without taking adequate rest breaks."

"I know that pharmacists take pride in the quality of the healthcare services they provide, but in some cases this has led to a culture where pharmacists no longer feel they can take proper rest breaks as it may adversely affect patient access to these services."

"We are asking employers not to allow or encourage pharmacists and pharmacy technicians to work for long periods without breaks. Equally we are asking pharmacy professionals themselves to make sure they take regular breaks."

The issue of rest breaks is not something the Society can resolve alone. In order to ensure the safe and effective provision of pharmacy services, everyone who is involved, whether they are pharmacy owners, superintendents, managers, pharmacists or pharmacy technicians, must work constructively together to ensure that people take adequate rest breaks.

As part of its on-going campaign of work in this area, the Society will unveil research on Sunday September 6 looking at how other healthcare organisations tackle workforce pressures, along with a report into the findings of a workplace pressures symposium held jointly with the Pharmacy Practice Research Trust in April.
Both reports will be available on Sunday from the professional leadership body stand at the British Pharmaceutical Conference.

Notes

The full council statement on adequate rest breaks can be seen by clicking on 'workplace pressure' found on the right hand side at http://www.rpsgb.org

The British Pharmaceutical Conference is the flagship annual conference of the RPSGB and is now in its 147th year. This year, it takes place in Manchester from Sunday 6 September - Wednesday 9 September inclusive. Around 1000 pharmacists from the UK and internationally will convene to debate practice issues and scientific developments affecting the profession during the four-day event. Research released at BPC is published in the Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology.

Source
Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain

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