A charity which supports pharmacy teams and their families is relaunching its wellbeing campaign ACTNow, in response to pressures brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Pharmacist Support has committed to running the campaign once again kicking off on World Pharmacists Day (25th September), for five weeks until 29th October. Each week aims to focus on one of the well-established five ways to wellbeing - Be Active, Give, Take Notice, Keep Learning and Connect.
Danielle Hunt, Pharmacist Support Chief Executive said the charity is taking a more "targeted approach" after acting on campaign feedback, running three separate campaigns at relevant times of the year for each group in the pharmacy team (students, trainees and pharmacists).
She said: “The final instalment, our pharmacist focused ACTNow campaign, aspires to provide tools and inspiration to enable and support our pharmacy family to prioritise mental health and wellbeing in the workplace. The campaign also shines a light on the mental health support available, including the charity’s new counselling service.
“The pandemic has piled additional pressures onto an already overstretched and burnt-out profession. Now more than ever, we feel we all need to work together to unpick the issues exposed over the past year and ensure that support is in place and accessible to all to help navigate our way out.
“To do this we feel it is essential that everyone across the profession comes together to highlight the importance of the wellbeing agenda. Following on from our wellbeing work with the PDA and RPS and the subsequent launch of the profession’s Inclusion and Wellbeing Pledge, we want to support and enable a cultural shift in workforce wellbeing.”
During the campaign the charity will share information, resources and activities based around each of the five ways to wellbeing themes, with activities including online workouts and weekly panel chats that will take a look at the science behind wellbeing and why it works.
Tying in with the KEEP LEARNING theme, Pharmacist Support is excited to be launching a new wellbeing learning platform and website, enabling individuals to take control of their own wellbeing journeys.
As part of the GIVE element of the campaign, and in recognition of 25 years of its peer support scheme Listening Friends, the charity will also be seeking to recruit individuals keen to give their time as Listening Friends volunteers. The Listening Friends peer support service offers individuals a chance to speak in confidence and anonymously with a fellow pharmacist about the stresses or pressures working in or studying pharmacy may be causing them.
Pharmacist Support are encouraging those across the profession to make a commitment to prioritise their wellbeing and get behind the campaign. To pledge support and ACTNow visit: WellbeingHub.PharmacistSupport.org.