Inclusion

Inclusion is ‘being included within either a group or society as a whole’. Inclusion links with diversity and equality. It is important to understand someone’s differences so that you can include them and treat them equally and fairly. People can feel excluded if they are not able to join in with activities. Excluding people because of their differences is known as ‘discrimination’.

Inclusion in pharmacy means giving associates and patients from all backgrounds a voice in providing and receiving high-quality care. This act starts with encouraging a diverse healthcare staff to participate in the patient experience.

All pharmacy workers must make sure that they work in an inclusive way to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to receive their medications and take part in the consultation when they want to. This is especially true when patients are taking part in their own care e.g., ordering "Over The Counter" (OTC) medications. This can be achieved with support that it is truly centred on them as a person rather than treating every patient the same.

Inclusive Pharmacy Practice (IPP) IPP is a joint initiative with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society the Association of Pharmacy Technicians UK and 13 other national partner organisations.

IPP focuses on making the workplace more inclusive for pharmacy professionals, with a senior leadership that reflects our diverse communities, to improve health inequalities in the population. It involves open conversations and meaningful actions to improve the experience of both patients and pharmacy professionals.

It is about engaging with local communities, helping to improve their health, and addressing the inequalities that people – particularly those from ethnically diverse backgrounds – can experience. For example, COVID-19 had a disproportionate impact on people from ethnically diverse backgrounds.