The charity Pharmacist Support will embark on market research as it attempts to expand its coaching service, with funding from Boots, to help more pharmacists manage stress and anxiety following a successful pilot.

Funding provided by the pharmacy chain will allow Pharmacist Support, which offers free services including financial assistance, debt, benefits and employment advice, to build on the pilot which gave pharmacists access to hour-long sessions with a trained coach to confront work-related and personal issues two years ago.

Those included dealing and negotiating with colleagues, building resilience, assertiveness and confidence and managing stress and anxiety. Pharmacist Support said trained volunteer pharmacists will deliver some of the services.

Boots’ chief pharmacist Marc Donovan said he hoped the coaching resources would be made available to all pharmacists.

“These are challenging times both for the pharmacy profession and the population as a whole and Boots is keen to ensure there is support available for all pharmacists to help them manage the stresses faced.

“The company has been working with Pharmacist Support on a range of wellbeing projects for a number of years now and the next phase in this partnership is the development of coaching resources that we hope will be available to all pharmacists.”

Pharmacist Support chief executive Danielle Hunt said: “We are absolutely delighted that Boots is supporting the charity to explore ways to expand our coaching work, allowing us to support more pharmacists across Great Britain.

“As the profession’s independent charity, we encounter daily the struggles those in the profession are facing which means we are well placed to develop solutions that empower an individual to make choices that lead to positive change and personal growth.

“In a time that continues to be challenging for the profession, it is crucial the charity works in partnership with organisations such as Boots to tackle head on the issues facing pharmacists, trainees and MPharm students today. It is down to donations such as this one that allow us to continue to make a difference.”

Picture: LumiNola (iStock)