Case study: UK pre-registration pharmacists working with the Healthy Living Alliance

Getting involved with the local community is an important part of our pre-registration pharmacist training in the UK. Around 600 of our new trainees work as volunteers in partnership with the Healthy Living Alliance and its member organisations. The Healthy Living Alliance is a charitable organisation which represents a wide range of initiatives and activities to prevent ill-health in some of the most deprived local communities across the UK. As a result of this partnership, these local communities across the country benefited from the delivery of over 50 healthcare-focused events.

For example, as part of this community investment project, our team in Newcastle worked in partnership with a local Healthy Living Alliance initiative to organise a health promotion event which attracted 300 people to a local leisure centre. Activities included a range of sports, and relaxation therapies, as well as advice on heart health and giving up smoking. Our Burnley team organised an in-store event with another Healthy Living Alliance initiative, aimed at promoting healthy and active lifestyles. Members of the team set up stands around the store and were supported by a number of local agencies including the local drugs team and fitness instructors.