On 26 November 2020, a joint letter of support to UK pharmacy staff, pharmacy technicians and pharmacists was published by the UK’s chief pharmaceutical officers, the General Pharmaceutical Council and the Pharmaceutical Council of Northern Ireland.

The letter thanked pharmacy teams for their work throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, recognising the pressures and stresses faced throughout. It also placed its confidence in teams continuing to respond “rapidly and professionally to the pandemic and its challenges”.

In response, Liz Fidler, president of the Association of Pharmacy Technicians UK, said: “I am delighted to see the support and recognition in this letter. We particularly welcome the consideration of our future professionals’ health and wellbeing at this time.”

The letter came just days before an announcement that pharmacy staff in Scotland will receive a one-off payment of £500 from the Scottish Government as additional thanks for their efforts.