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We wish to acknowledge again the response of pharmacy teams over the past weeks to the unprecedented challenges posed by the Covid-19 crisis. It has been both impressive and gratifying to see how pharmacists and pharmacy staff have risen to the challenge of continuing to provide safe, effective and timely professional healthcare to their patients and the wider public in the face of a global pandemic. The PSI stands with pharmacists and pharmacies as you continue to play your vital role in supporting public health measures and in ensuring that people have access to the care and reassurance needed throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

We know that you and your teams have made many adjustments to ensure that the health of patients and pharmacy staff members is protected in these circumstances. We acknowledge that you are conscious that care is consistently provided in keeping with the principles underpinning safe and professional pharmacy practice. These include continuing to provide appropriate patient counselling, ensuring safe custody of medicines, respecting patient confidentiality, and liaising with other healthcare professionals and services to ensure patient wellbeing.

The PSI Council met remotely on Thursday of this week to review actions taken over recent weeks and to consider likely developments as this crisis evolves over the coming weeks. The Council is keen to ensure that you know that the efforts of the whole pharmacy team are recognised and acknowledged. This includes the particular contribution of pharmacy students who continue in their experiential learning placements and contribute their valuable skills in support of pharmacists and pharmacy teams, as well as those students from a range of disciplines who are supporting people cocooning at home by delivering medicines across the country. On behalf of the PSI Council, we want to assure you all that PSI is working in the background to support the pharmacy sector by contributing to the coordinated national approach to this public health emergency. We wish you and your families well as we all work to support patients and the public through this crisis.