The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 270 No 7244 p526
12 April 2003

Society summary

Census summary report published

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society has published a summary report of the pharmacy workforce census conducted between September and December 2002.

The report costs £30. Details are available from Jackie Moon, secretary to the practice research division (tel 020 7572 2278; e-mail practiceresearch@rpsgb.org.uk).

The report builds on the headline report (PDF 50K) published in The Journal (PJ, 1 March, p314) and available from the practice research section of the Society's website.

The census was commissioned to provide information about the current workforce and, in subsequent years, to analyse trends to inform future planning. The census will provide the foundation for significant areas of future work at the Society in both professional and regulatory areas.

A more detailed analysis of the census data is being undertake and further reports will appear over the coming months.

The Society's Vice-President, Dr Gillian Hawksworth, said that the survey data were extremely important in providing a clear picture of the pharmacist workforce. The census had already highlighted issues such as the numbers of pharmacists choosing to practise as locums, the extent of portfolio working and the increasing proportion of women in the profession.