The annual campaign – which launched yesterday (September 25) on World Pharmacists Day and will run until October 22 – will focus on "breaking the silence of mental health and wellbeing, transforming workplace culture, developing the pharmacy team, and prioritising individual wellbeing", the charity said.
It follows a 2021 workplace wellbeing survey that was jointly run by Pharmacist Support and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society.
The charity's chief executive Danielle Hunt said: "To allow individuals to thrive, it’s incredibly important that the sector provides workplace environments that enables this to happen.”
Pharmacist Support research found "high levels of potential burnout...coupled with low take up on mental health and wellbeing support", she said. Barriers stopping pharmacy professionals from getting the support they need include worries about confidentiality and the subsequent impact on their career, she added.
Ms Hunt continued: "As well as providing a safe space for people to share their worries and to access free and confidential support, campaigns such as ACTNow provide us with an opportunity to highlight the issues impacting our pharmacy family’s wellbeing, and to bring people together to open up useful, and sometimes challenging conversations.”
This year's ACTNow campaign therefore aims to "provide practical solutions" that will help organisations ensure wellbeing practices are incorporated into the workplace, the charity said.
Pharmacist Support has partnered with the manufacturer Teva UK and the union the Pharmacists' Defence Association on the campaign.
Their support has allowed the charity to provide free campaign materials including panel chat videos, podcasts, and posters, the charity commented.
Pharmacy professionals can sign up to the ACTNow campaign here.
