Racism in pharmacy: report on the roundtable event

GPhC meets with key stakeholders across the pharmacy sector to discuss racism in pharmacy and the impact on patient care.

On 1 November 2022, we welcomed key stakeholders from across the pharmacy sector, to discuss how racism manifests and affects pharmacy professionals and how this can have a resulting impact on patient care. 

In “Delivering equality, improving diversity and fostering inclusion: our strategy for change”, we set out our obligation and opportunity to use all of our regulatory levers and influence to help tackle discrimination and support the reduction of health inequalities. 
Delegates were encouraged to share their thoughts and reflections and to identify actions and areas of coordinated interventions. The discussion was honest and open, and delegates expressed the GPhC’s unique opportunity to speak out and tackle racism, because of our regulatory role.

The report  

The round table report includes highlights from external speakers and GPhC staff, as well as a summary of the points raised by stakeholders during the discussion. 

The report also presents an overview of the work that the GPhC has already undertaken in line with our EDI strategy, which sets out a framework for how the GPhC will embed considerations of equality, diversity and inclusion in all aspects of its work as a regulator. 

GPhC council chair, Gisela Abbam said:

“Thank you to all stakeholders and speakers who took part in our first racism in pharmacy roundtable event. We would particularly like to thank the UK Black Pharmacist Association for their support in identifying the need for this important discussion.  We appreciate the openness and willingness of colleagues to share their experiences and reflections and to work with us to identify co-ordinated actions for now and the future. 

“Along with delegates at the event, I too share the feeling of positivity and hopefulness and recognise that the GPhC has a unique opportunity to speak out and tackle racism because of our regulatory power. We look forward to reconvening as a group later this year and welcoming others who wish to get involved.”

Next steps 

In line with our EDI strategy and approach, we want to continue to support pharmacy professionals to speak up and challenge discrimination, using our standards and guidance to help them do that.

This roundtable discussion is just one of a series of important equality discussions that we will be having as our work progresses.   We will continue to engage with this group as a virtual network and reconvene later this year.  We will also be identifying other groups or individuals who wish to get involved, so that we engage as fully and openly as possible.