On International Women’s Day on Saturday, Joanna Robertson (JR) spoke to Lourette Philips (LP), president of the National Association of Women Pharmacists (NAWP), at the network’s 120-year celebration in Birmingham.

JR: We’re celebrating 120 years of NAWP today, so take me back – how did the network start?

LP: It started with all the ladies not finding a union to represent the women pharmacists. They were underpaid and undervalued, so they started NAWP.

Five years ago, the PDA took it over, and now it’s part of the PDA network.

This year, we celebrate 120 years of NAWP, five years as part of the PDA, and the 50th president. So it’s all a very big celebration here.

JR: What were the issues that women pharmacists were facing that led to them starting the network?

LP: They were underpaid and there wasn’t gender equality. Women pharmacists were not represented well, positions were going to the opposite sex… they needed to find somewhere, a union to help them to represent who they are, their values, and empower the voice of women.

JR: Do you think that’s changed in the last 120 years?

LP: We’re getting there. I do think it’s changed. I think we still need to do more. Equal pay still hasn’t happened yet. So, we still need to fight for that, I'm hoping to focus on that in my term as president.

But our voices are being heard. [NAWP is] more prominent everywhere, but we still need to keep fighting.

And I think this time around, we need to get the members more involved, so it’s not just committee-led. We should be their voice, and they should come to us and tell us to fight for whatever they need.

JR: Today on International Women’s Day, are you focusing on campaigning against the challenges or celebrating women in pharmacy?

LP: Both! The day is split into two. So we are celebrating leadership in women during the morning sessions with Taiwo Owatemi MP being present.

Then we have a panel of three different pharmacists in different leadership roles throughout their different careers – we've got a student, we've got a community pharmacist, and then we've got a chief pharmacist.

And then in the afternoon we are celebrating NAWP. What has NAWP achieved in the last 120 years? What are we hoping to achieve in the next 120 years?

I really want pharmacists to see NAWP as very approachable and very supportive.

It's not just that we are leaders, but we are friends, mentors, and we want members to feel OK to come to any of us.

Pharmacy can be very isolating, especially if you're working on your own all day, in community especially, so it's nice to have that network. And today is all about networking and seeing people's faces.

We've had one committee member saying she does feel like the committee is a little family, because we're always having a laugh. It's obviously serious work, but it's nice to be friendly, have a laugh, enjoy and appreciate each other's work.

JR: What was your journey to becoming the 50th president of NAWP?

LP: I've been with the PDA since I qualified. I work in community and prison pharmacy, and I’m an independent prescriber, and I never really thought of the PDA as more than just my insurance company,

And then I read an article, and they said, "would you like to get involved with being a rep?" And I was like, "oh, I really want to be a rep, because I always enjoy mentoring others".

The PDA was starting a new locum network, because we're obviously very isolated as locums, not having got a company backing.

It was nice to get that group started. We did a lot of training – how to be assertive, how to communicate, all of that.

And then Jayne [Dr Jayne Love, PDA equalities lead] approached me and said, “would you like to join NAWP and fight for women?” And I was like, “absolutely”.

My niece was born three years ago today, so she is an International Women's Day baby. And I was like, “well, it's obviously a sign”.

And then in September, they wanted me to be the president. So, here we are.

We've all experienced something that we shouldn't have as women – as have men.

As a woman, I've experienced a few things. I've seen a few things with other colleagues, so it's nice to be able to get my voice heard and help others as well.

JR: With this work, are you thinking about the future generations? What would you like them to have when they are working?

LP: I’d like them to feel safe. I'd like them to feel empowered to speak out. I don't want them to feel scared to discuss any issues.

Especially for locum pharmacists, a lot can be blamed on the locum – who do they talk to, who is that support?

I think as the years go on, more and more will be added on the pharmacy profession, more services.

And I think as the new generation comes in – my niece becoming a pharmacist, hopefully, and following in my footsteps! Or an optician, as her parents are – she will face more and more work, more and more stress. She needs to make sure that there is that support system.

She needs to make sure there's people to go to straight away, to speak to freely without being scared of being penalised or getting blocked from going to work or getting sacked.

That shouldn't be happening. We should all be free to speak. And it's not about blame, it's about learning.

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