The aim of the research was to undertake a literature review of the evidence on the disproportionate treatment of BME pharmacists in; (i) recruitment, (ii) progression (iii) retention and (iv) regulation. The evidence from pharmacy is equivocal; while a Selleck ICG-001 small number of studies suggest possible evidence of discrimination further research is required to understand whether BME pharmacy professionals are discriminated

against, particularly in areas such as regulation. In the past 10–15 years the ethnic make-up of the pharmacy profession has changed significantly. Pharmacists from black and minority ethnic (BME) backgrounds represent a significant proportion of the profession.1 While there AUY-922 concentration is evidence that BME doctors may be discriminated against in employment practices, little is known about the treatment of BME pharmacists. The aim of the research was to review the literature for evidence of disproportionate treatment in relation to; (i) recruitment, (ii) progression (iii) retention and (iv) regulation in the United Kingdom. Ethics approval was not required. A literature search was undertaken in a number of databases (including PubMed, Scopus, International Pharmaceutical Abstracts, SIGLE, Embase) to

identify literature published between 1993 and 2013 and relating to ethnicity and employment and regulatory practices in the United Kingdom. Search terms included ‘discrimination’, ‘disproportionality’, ‘disparity’ and ‘racism’. Items retrieved during searches were initially assessed by the research team on the basis of abstract content or full paper if necessary, with contentious items discussed by the team until an agreement was reached. Initial searches identified 78 possible items but only 12 items (six peer-reviewed journal articles, three published reports, two conference papers and one PhD thesis) were identified as being

relevant to the review. With regards to (i) recruitment, one article and one report suggested that BME pharmacists were more likely to report finding it difficult to secure their first post. In terms of (ii) progression, four articles showed evidence of BME pharmacists in community being under-represented in management positions and over-represented Rucaparib nmr among pharmacy owners. There is also some evidence (one article, one report and one PhD thesis) indicating that some BME pharmacists perceived their opportunities were limited by ethnicity. In relation to (iii) retention, there is evidence (one report and one conference abstract) that BME pharmacists were less satisfied with their careers and more likely to be intending to leave the profession than white peers. Regarding (iv) regulation, three studies (one conference paper and two articles) explored the representation of BME pharmacists in disciplinary proceedings conducted by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain.