Society’s pharmacy leadership programme
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society is developing a pilot programme to help pharmacists refine their leadership skills across sectors and organisational boundaries.
The pilot, being rolled out in England, forms part of the Society’s “Supporting
local pharmacy leadership” development strategy. This aims to achieve
excellence in the quality of local pharmacy leadership, linking to the
NHS but not solely reliant on it. It also aims to drive the spread of
good innovative practice and raise the profile of good local pharmacy
leaders in whatever sector pharmacists work. The Society will do this
in partnership with others, by identifying, developing and supporting
local pharmacy leaders.
The Society has received £25,000 funding from the NHS Leadership
Centre to work towards a sustainable leadership development programme
for the profession.
The Society raised the issue of leadership skills development with branch
and regional secretaries and pharmacy development group representatives
at meetings in the spring. Local pharmacists were encouraged to include
leadership skills development, using the NHS Leadership Qualities Framework,
as part of their continuing professional development. In addition, branches
were asked to consider their role in assisting the broadening of members’ knowledge
and developing networks.
Anne Adams, the Society’s head of professional leadership, said: “Pharmacy
needs more professional leaders able to lead professionally at local
level. Leadership can be developed. Not everyone has the necessary personal
qualities or desire to be a senior leader, but all pharmacists lead to
a greater or lesser extent in their professional practice every day.
“Local leaders need to be well rounded and to think and act strategically,
taking into account issues surrounding local devolution of power and
resources, the diversity of the profession, as well as the new roles
and responsibilities that pharmacists are taking on so that the patient
can be put right at the centre of health care and pharmacists can be
integral members of the health care team and local NHS decision-making
machinery. Good leadership is as much about being aware of the way that
you do things, and practising doing them better, as anything else.
“In the first instance we are looking at a pharmacy-wide programme
to build confidence and familiarity with leadership ‘jargon’ to
allow pharmacists to then plug into multidisciplinary development programmes.”
The Society wants to hear from individuals or organisations involved
in local leadership development. They should contact Yvonne Dennington
(tel 020 7572 2208; e-mail yvonne.dennington@rpsgb.org).
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