victorian Pharmacy - Royal Pharmaceutical Society

f e at u r e W o m e n P h a r m a c i s t s
Eyes: Vision for the Future
Opthalmology was the theme when members of the National
Association of Women Pharmacists gathered for their Annual
Weekend Conference. Virginia Watson was there
KENIlWORTh was the
venue for the conference
featuring sessions given
by three consultant
ophthalmologists and an optometrist, covering
glaucoma, dry eye and blepharitis, age-related
macular degeneration and contact lenses. The
final session, Living with Vision Loss, was
given by Dr Nicola Hendey accompanied by
Cavendish, her canine partner/guide dog and
Beeley, aged six months, who will take over
from Cavendish when he retires.
The conference is a focal point in the
NAWP calendar, bringing members together,
not only for the clinical programme but also
to keep abreast of professional issues. This
year the law and ethics update, given by
Susan Melvin of the Professional Standards
Inspectorate, concentrated on the role of the
General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC).
There was also an overview of the
Professional Leadership Body and the
implementation of Local Practice Forums by
English Pharmacy Board member Sid Dajani.
We were joined at the Conference dinner
by Duncan Rudkin (Chief Executive and
Registrar of the GPhC) and Sid Dajani. Our
guest speaker, Paula Cornwell, a tour guide
at Stoneleigh Manor, whetted our appetites
for the Jane Austen tour organised
for us. A weekend away gives the
opportunity to bring old and new
friends together, to network and
to have fun.
At the time the association
was formed in 1905 life was
difficult for women working in
the health professions. Of the
16,000 on the Pharmaceutical
Register, women represented
less than 1.3% of the
membership and therefore
one of the association’s main objectives was
to help women gain employment. Today,
with the high proportion of women in the
profession, one might ask if there is still a
need for such an organisation?
But while our circumstances today may be
different, there is still a place for associations
to represent and support women in the
professions as illustrated by the Women’s
Engineering Society, Association of Women
Barristers, British Association of Women
in Policing etc. Interestingly, women’s
NAWP maintains
a strong voice on
women’s issues in
the wider world
pharmacist organisations have been formed
much more recently in the Netherlands (1988)
and Germany (2002), confirming this need.
NAWP has remained active continuously
since its foundation, changing its aims and
objectives as circumstances and times dictate.
So, with the changes currently taking place
within our profession, what is NAWP’s Vision
for the Future?
NAWP has always been independent of,
but maintains a good working relationship
with, the society, which has allowed
it freedom to pursue its aims and to
exert influence to promote equality of
opportunity and to improve
the status of women in the
profession.
We must now
explore and establish
how we interact with the PLB and the GPhC.
Members of the executive committee have
already met Duncan Rudkin and we plan
to meet Helen Gordon, Chief Executive
designate of the PLB, in the near future.
The NAWP has been involved in a number
of initiatives, including supporting those
returning to practice and piloting a mentoring
scheme, both of which are now on the agenda
of the PLB. We are meeting representatives of
the PLB and the English Pharmacy Board to
discuss these and share our experience.
Before long the demerger between the
regulatory and professional support functions
of the RPSGB will be complete. This has
been an unprecedented road to travel and
the NAWP has maintained a keen and active
interest, kept members updated via the
Newsletter and contributed to consultations.
We will continue to participate in and
contribute to any future consultations affecting
the profession and practice of pharmacy.
Through our involvement with nonpharmaceutical
women’s organisations,
NAWP maintains a strong voice on women’s
issues in the wider world. Only a few months
ago, two members of the executive committee
attended the Women’s National Commission
All Partners Conference to discuss the
economy, the Equality Bill, women in power
and violence against women. This link
that NAWP has into the wider network is
a fundamental and important aspect of our
organisation.
Nurture and develop
Having worked in the global environment of
the industry for a number of years, I believe
it is important that we nurture and develop
interaction with our colleagues in other
countries. Five years ago we were invited to
attend and to speak at the second meeting of
European Women Pharmacists. Since then, an
increasing number of NAWP members have
attended and actively participated in these
annual meetings. During the next few years
we will be working on a number of initiatives
with our colleagues elsewhere in Europe.
These meetings have enabled a comparison
of pharmacy education, practice, workforce
demographics and career development in
other European countries. There are many
frustrations regarding pharmacy ownership
and lack of representation of women in
key leadership or senior management posts
amongst our European colleagues.
Mentor the young
The glass ceiling is widespread. In the
UK, women are being encouraged to enter
public life, or to ‘break into the boardroom’,
but progress is slow. Interestingly, though,
there have been eight women Presidents of
the RPSGB, all of whom have been or are
members of the NAWP and we number past
and current council members as well as a few
in public life amongst our membership.
Is there still a role for NAWP to support,
encourage and mentor the young, ambitious
women in our profession? I believe so.
But there are gender issues which perhaps
do not readily spring to mind. There is
increasing emphasis on subgroup analyses
by gender in clinical trials as outcomes may
differ between men and women in a number
of therapeutic areas. The EC needs to consider
whether there is scope for NAWP to become
more involved in working with other groups
to communicate the importance of genderrelated
treatments.
On a day-to-day basis our main focus is to
support our members. The EC communicates
regularly with the membership through the
Newsletter, and encourages members to meet
informally at a local level.
We cross every sector of the pharmacy
world and have a wealth of experience
amongst our members, which we continue to
share. In common with so many organisations
we would like to increase our membership,
not just amongst young women who may
need support with career development, career
breaks or in juggling their domestic/ work
commitments, but with members across the
whole age spectrum, who can bring their
own strengths and qualities to NAWP and the
wider professional network. n
30 Pharmacy Professional | July/August 2010 July/August 2010 | Pharmacy Professional 31