Almost one in three pharmacists (28%) who identify as African/Caribbean/Black/Other have experienced racism from colleagues in the past year, according to a survey by The Pharmaceutical Journal has resulted.
Among the 1,219 respondents The Pharmaceutical JournalIn the University of Virginia’s Salary and Job Satisfaction Survey, 17 out of 60 black pharmacists working in all areas of pharmacy in the UK answered “yes” when asked, “Have you experienced racism from your colleagues in the past year?”
Some respondents described in comments that they were underpaid, unequally distributed and not sufficiently supported compared to their colleagues.
Responses also highlighted microaggressions, such as colleagues touching or commenting on their hair or mispronouncing their names, and stressed how difficult it is to identify specific racially motivated discrimination.
One respondent said: “Racism in the workplace is usually not about racist insults, but about isolation, lack of opportunities and the fact that the employee ultimately leaves the company.”
Another said there were “no very experienced pharmacists” in Scotland who looked like her and “most people of my colour move to England to get ahead”.
The Pharmaceutical Journal‘S The survey also found that 28 of 146 South Asian respondents (19%), 2 of 15 who identified as multiracial (13%), 5 of 56 ethnic Chinese pharmacists (9%) and 31 of 872 respondents who identified as white also said they had experienced racism from colleagues in the past year.
Some respondents who identified as South Asian recalled experiences of bullying, single-person searches and racial slurs. Other respondents who identified as Chinese said they received comments about their culture and heritage or were asked to change their names.
Responses also included examples of possible unconscious biases, such as being passed over for promotions, not receiving recognition for achievements, receiving lower performance reviews, and nepotism.
One Muslim respondent said he had received comments for asking for leave during Ramadan and Eid and not attending pub crawls organized by colleagues.
Amandeep Doll, head of professional affiliation and engagement at the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS), said: “Racism and any form of discrimination are unacceptable and have no place in the world of work. It can have a profound impact on pharmacists’ wellbeing and career prospects. We encourage all pharmacists to speak out against discriminatory behaviour and managers and employers to provide them with safe and inclusive spaces to do so.
“Combating racism is a priority for us. Through our ‘Inclusion and Diversity Strategy’ and initiatives such as our ‘Action for Belonging, Culture and Diversity’, we encourage individuals to show their support for a profession that is inclusive, celebrates diversity, creates a culture of belonging and supports the health and wellbeing of pharmacy teams.”
Paul Day, Director of Memberships and Communities at the Pharmacists’ Defence Association (PDA), said: “Sadly, some pharmacists experience racism from their employers or other organisations, colleagues or patients.
The PDA launched the BAME Pharmacists Network in 2020 to combat racism. Our members say that to rid the profession, sector and society of this scourge, it is not enough to not be racist, but that every individual and organisation should be explicitly anti-racist.
“The PDA is proud to be against racism and calls on all organizations to make this statement and take action to put it into practice.”
Nathan Burley, President of the Guild of Healthcare Pharmacists (GHP), added: “Unfortunately, these disappointing results show that racism and discrimination appear to be widespread in this profession.
“Racism, sexism and discrimination based on protected characteristics are workplace issues that employees should not feel they have to deal with alone.”
The NHS’s first Pharmacy Workforce Race Equality Standard (PWRES) report, published on 27 September 2023, found that pharmacists from black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds are underrepresented in leadership positions in England, with female pharmacists disproportionately affected.
