As pharmacists, we often don't find the time to invest in our own wellbeing, despite the fact that we make our living supporting others. The areas we have discussed have been shown to significantly improve personal resilience €“ you owe it to yourself to consider how best to identify opportunities to develop each of them.

A resilient response

Usha has been a pharmacist for more years than she cares to remember. A new health centre has opened near her pharmacy, with a number of new GPs and practice team members. However, six months have passed and contact with them has been limited to script queries. Usha wants to build better relationships with the health centre team, but is finding it difficult to find the time.

She decides to phone her nearby pharmacist colleagues to sound them out about an idea she has for a group of them to set up a meeting with the GPs and practice manager. In preparation for the meeting, she reflects upon what common issues could be discussed that would be of benefit for the patients of the health centre.

Usha also knows that activity from the commissioned minor ailments scheme has dropped off since its launch. She seeks some feedback from her colleagues as to how they could work with the GPs and practice team to promote the service more effectively.

The meeting produced some positive outcomes, despite starting off a little shakily and uncomfortably. The GPs agreed that the minor ailments service could be more effectively signposted, but they had concerns about the New Medicine Service and believed that it overlapped with their initial patient review. It became clear that there was misunderstanding in what the service was intended to achieve, and talking about this led to a level of buy-in and agreement to positively promote the service to relevant patients.

Everyone agreed that it had been beneficial, and committed to holding further quarterly meetings. Usha returned to her pharmacy pleased that her proactive approach had paid dividends.