“Workforce sustainability and supporting positive practice in community pharmacy” is a new report from the FIP’s Community Pharmacy Section (CPS) published today, on the fifth anniversary of the Astana Declaration on primary health care. The report presents the findings of a literature review and global survey exploring the barriers and enablers related to sustaining current community pharmacy services and undertaking expanded services, pharmacists’ mental health and well-being, and positive practice environments. In the report, the CPS makes recommendations to promote and support professional sustainability and positive practice, which include:

• Developing continuous evidence-based solutions dedicated to mental health and well-being of pharmacists and tailored to the unique challenges faced in community pharmacy;
• Ensuring that any programme developed as part of expanded scope of practice of pharmacists include support for mental health and well-being of pharmacists; and
• Putting emphasis on recognition and remuneration as part of the transition to patient-oriented services.

“The mental health and well-being of pharmacists working in community pharmacy settings is an important issue and it is critical for all community pharmacy workplaces to be supported with evidence-based strategies that can be adapted to foster positive mental health and well-being,” said CPS president Sherif Guorgui.

Daragh Connolly, chair of the FIP Board of Pharmaceutical Practice and a co-author of the report, talks about some of the findings of the research in this interview here.