Whistle-blowing is simply explained as a situation where an individual raises a concern about a risk, malpractice or wrongdoing that may affect customers, the general public or colleagues.

This may include:

• Inappropriate storage of medicines, such as refrigerated items or controlled drugs.
• Inadequate staffing levels to deliver a safe service.

Sometimes an employee of a pharmacy may feel scared to raise their concerns as they think it would put their job at risk; however the Public Interest Disclosures Act (PIDA) 1998 enables workers to speak out responsibly without fear of retribution.

Do:

• Understand the need to speak up – it is always better to raise concerns even if they are not correct than not say anything at all.
• Read your own pharmacy whistle-blowing policy.
• Stick to the facts and only report what you have witnessed and do not make any allegations or exaggerate as this may potentially detract from the concern.

Don’t:

• Attempt to gather evidence yourself – this should be done formally otherwise you run the risk of disciplinary action if you are taking copies of anything, for example files, emails etc.
• Confuse concerns with personal grievances – a grievance is personal to an individual, whistle-blowing issues are those that have an impact on other people including customers and members of the public.
• Blow the whistle anonymously as this will make the investigation much harder to complete.

You can complete the Counter Excellence module 'Whistleblowing' for more information.