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Inclusive Pharmacy Practice Week 2025: APTUK Reflections and Learning
During Inclusive Pharmacy Practice (IPP) Week 2025, APTUK was proud to support a new national initiative led by 16 pharmacy partner organisations in collaboration with the Centre for Pharmacy Postgraduate Education (CPPE). The week focused on building inclusive workplaces and leadership that better reflect the diversity of our communities, with the ultimate aim of reducing health inequalities.
APTUK’s contribution centred on highlighting the role of pharmacy technicians in inclusive leadership, sharing lived experience, and creating space for honest discussion about barriers, opportunity, and progression. Our online workshop brought together pharmacy professionals from across sectors to explore how leadership development programmes—such as the CPhO Pharmacy Leaders Development Programme—can open doors for senior management roles, foster inclusive leadership and support more equitable career pathways.
Partnership in Action
The workshop featured a powerful conversation with Sheetal Jogia, London Pharmacy Aseptic Services Workforce Transformation Project Lead (Royal Marsden Hospital NHS Foundation Trust), and Claire Dearden, Medicines Optimisation Governance and Service Improvement Lead (Staffordshire and Stoke‑on‑Trent ICB). Together, they shared personal insights on leadership, equity, and the importance of creating inclusive environments where talent can thrive.
Their reflections, alongside participant contributions, reinforced the value of partnership working across organisations to challenge leadership, equity, and opportunity.
Key Learnings and Actionable Insights
Inclusive leadership is people‑centred – leadership that actively values difference, listens, adapts, and treats colleagues with equity, dignity, and respect.
Everyone is a leader – inclusive practice is not limited to job titles or seniority; it is about empowerment, shared ownership, and belonging.
Barriers must be actively challenged – including professional hierarchies, exclusive job titles, and recruitment practices that prioritise profession over skills and experience.
Representation matters – participants consistently called for more pharmacy technicians in senior and system‑level leadership roles.
Action must go beyond intent – true inclusivity requires changes to recruitment, job descriptions, talent management, and everyday behaviours, not just statements of support.
Participants were clear that inclusive leadership is not “lip service” but a continuous, reflective practice that requires courage, accountability, and advocacy.
Voices from IPP Week:
“Sharing my story during IPP Week was a privilege—but the real power came from listening to participants define their own values for inclusive leadership.”
Claire Dearden
“APTUK and IPP gave me a platform to share my learning and experience from the CPhO programme. Championing inclusive behaviour has to start from the top of the leadership ladder, encouraging others to follow.”
Sheetal Jogia
"Delivering this event reaffirmed that diversifying senior pharmacy technician roles isn't just about changing numbers, it’s about changing culture. We explored how inclusive leadership moves us beyond traditional hierarchies to a space where talent is valued over titles. When we lead with equity and actively dismantle professional barriers, we don't just 'open doors'; we ensure that every pharmacy technician, regardless of their background, feels they truly belong."
Bianca Glavin, Senior pharmacy technician, Primary Care Education, CPPE
“This was such an important week and such a privilege to be part of exploring just one theme of inclusive pharmacy practice, and myself personally, as well as APTUK, look forward to exploring more and more ways to ensure inclusive practice for our profession and to be able to have the right conversations.”
Phil Jones, Education Director, APTUK
Resources
APTUK and CPPE IPP session presentation slides
Pharmacy Workforce Race equality Standard Report
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