Commenting on analysis published by the Office for National Statistics that Covid-19 deaths are four times more likely among black adults than those of white ethnicity, RPS Director for England Ravi Sharma said:
"The safety and wellbeing of pharmacists during the pandemic is our number one priority. It's very clear that the health of black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) communities are affected much more seriously by Covid-19 than those of white ethnicity, and investigations are underway by the NHS to establish the reasons for this.
"A disproportionate number of BAME staff work on the frontline of the NHS and have lost their lives to coronavirus, including amongst the pharmacy profession. This is devastating and is a very real reminder of the inequalities around race that still pervade our healthcare system and wider society.
"The pharmacy profession has a high representation of BAME colleagues, comprising 43% of the workforce. We fully recognise the impact on our profession and urge the NHS and government to include pharmacy in national plans to keep BAME healthcare workers safe."
ONS statistics on Covid related deaths by ethnic group, England and Wales