The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) is consulting on its draft five-year strategy, which aims to ‘deliver equality, improve diversity and foster inclusion’.

The 12-week GPhC consultation, launched yesterday (19 April), seeks views from individuals and organisations on the regulator’s proposals to be ‘more proactive and joined up in using [their] regulatory influence and levers to help reform the structures and practices that maintain inequality and discrimination within pharmacy and pharmacy regulation.’

The draft strategy, which was developed collaboratively by both internal and external stakeholders, sets out three key themes, which the GPhC said it hopes will transform its approach to equality, diversity and inclusion.

The first theme laid out by the body is to make sure any regulatory decisions are ‘demonstrably fair, lawful, and so free from discrimination and bias.’

The body also proposes to ‘use [their] standards to proactively help tackle discrimination in all pharmacy settings and make sure everyone can access person-centred care, fostering equality of health outcomes.’

Finally, the body sets out plans to ‘lead by example and demonstrate best practice’ within the organisation, and to hold itself to the ‘same high standards’ it expects of others.

‘The strategy emphasises the importance of taking a proactive approach to equality, diversity and inclusion, while improvements to the way data and insights are collected and analysed are being made,’ the GPhC explained.

Duncan Rudkin, GPhC chief executive, said: ‘This strategy brings a new focus and energy to our efforts to progress how we deliver equality, improve diversity and foster inclusion.

‘It provides a framework for the delivery of this work, across our organisation, in support of our Vision 2030 and Strategic Plan 2020-2025.

He added: ‘For this strategy to be effective, we will need to work collaboratively with our colleagues and stakeholders across pharmacy to make this happen. ‘We welcome views on our proposals to help us achieve our aims.’

The GPhC consultation closes on 12 July.