Course Title: Pharmacist Helpers (Drugs in Breastmilk)
Pre-requisites: In addition to the standard Helper course entry requirements, this course is specifically for those who already hold:
- a Degree in Pharmacy
- registration with the GPhC
- (or will hold) their own Professional Indemnity Insurance
Number of places available: 12
Course start date: 31/10/2023 (to be confirmed)
Course end date: 27/02/2024
Day and time of sessions: Tuesday evenings fortnightly from 7pm – 9pm
Assignments to be completed by: 27/02/2023
Course venue: Online
Closing date for applications: 03/10/2023
Proposed interview date (if applicable): Week commencing 09/10/2023 (online)
DBS required: Yes (BfN will arrange this at no cost to volunteers)
Course information:
We are looking for pharmacists who have lived experience of breastfeeding to volunteer for our Drugs In Breastmilk Information Service.
Our Drugs in Breastmilk Information Service is run by pharmacists who are all trained as breastfeeding peer supporters and answer questions via email and social media on medication and breastfeeding compatibility.
You’ll be joining a committed and supportive team of volunteers working to provide this unique and essential service for families. Please note, the training course is in Breastfeeding Peer Support. You will then be inducted into the Drugs in Breastmilk service.
We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and minority ethnic volunteers, LGBTQ+ volunteers, volunteers with disabilities and volunteers living in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland as we would like to increase the representation of these groups at BfN. We strive for our workforce and volunteers to be representative of the communities that we serve and we know that greater diversity will lead to even greater results for breastfeeding mothers.
Shifts on the DIBM Information Service are split into morning (8-12), afternoon (12-4), evening (4-8) across the week. Volunteer pharmacists tend to cover between one to four shifts per fortnight depending what suits their personal and professional life. Most volunteers elect to do a regular slot (e.g. Tuesday evening and Saturday morning) and account for that regularity.
There is a team WhatsApp group where volunteers can also ask for someone to cover the start/end/whole of a shift if they cannot make it and volunteers can do this remotely, e.g. from their phone, around other activities (e.g. children’s bedtimes). The evening shift in particular may well start late/run late as it is the last shift of the day; we just ask that someone responds to the messages before midnight.
Our volunteers are able to do this very flexibly and of course, sometimes it is quiet meaning your shift has passed without much fuss. The ethic in the team is very much that of collaboration – hopping on ad-hoc to answer a few emails, or providing support to the ‘on shift’ volunteer in the WhatsApp group if they have a complex query and would like to check in before responding.
The team aims to operate flexibly to make this work for all, including those accessing the support.
How to apply:
If you are interested in being considered for this role please complete the online application form found at the link below. Please note the course pre-requisites detailed within the Role Description and ensure you detail how you meet these within your application.
- Application Form (please check pre-requisites and role description below before applying)
- DIBM Pharmacist Helper Role Description
If you have any questions about the course, voluntary role or application process, please email training@breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk or telephone our HR Advisor on 0844 412 0995.