Understanding pharmacy today to shape pharmacy tomorrow

 

The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) is launching its first major survey about the day-to-day roles and responsibilities of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians.

 

All 22,000 pharmacy technicians and a large sample of 30,000 pharmacists are being invited to take part to help shape how pharmacy and pharmacy regulation develops in the future.

 

The survey asks a range of questions, including where pharmacists and pharmacy technicians are working and what responsibilities they have in their jobs. We want to build a better understanding of what pharmacists and pharmacy technicians are doing in their day-to-day roles and where they are working. This information will inform the development of our policies, contribute to a wider understanding of pharmacy today and help us and others in pharmacy to predict and respond to likely changes.

 

The anonymised results will be made public so that the GPhC and organisations representing pharmacists and pharmacy technicians can use this evidence to contribute to discussions about the roles of members of the pharmacy team, and pharmacy as a whole. We would also expect to use this information to inform further research into more detailed aspects of regulation and pharmacy practice.

 

Duncan Rudkin, Chief Executive of the General Pharmaceutical Council, said:

 

“We want to encourage as many people as possible to take part in this important survey. Every individual response will contribute to building a picture of pharmacy as it is practised in Great Britain now.

 

“Taking part in the survey takes just 10-15 minutes and is a chance to shape how we develop our approach to regulation, so we can support pharmacists and pharmacy technicians to continue to make an important contribution to patient care.”

 

The GPhC has commissioned NatCen Social Research, an independent social research organisation, to carry out the survey which will run for six weeks from week commencing 19 August 2013. All those being invited to respond will be contacted via email or by post to their registered address."

 

The GPhC plans to report on the findings in late 2013.