The College's New Look! Feb. 27, 2023 Cultural Safety and Humility

The College’s New Look!

As the College continues to evolve as a regulator and leader in health care and public safety, it is important that our organizational identity continues to reflect the society we live in.

The College is pleased to introduce its updated 2022/23 – 2027/28 Strategic Plan along with a new Commitment Statement, Organizational Values and Logo!

The Updated 2022/23 – 2027/28 Strategic Plan

In 2022, the College conducted a comprehensive review of the goals, objectives and actions outlined in the 2022/23 – 2027/28 Strategic Plan to ensure alignment with 2023/24 Budget as well as key emerging regulatory and operational priorities.

The updated plan better aligns the College’s priorities with the ever-changing nature of BC’s health landscape and refines our approach to health regulation in a way that improves accountability and transparency.

(Click to view PDF)

The updated plan also reflects the College’s ongoing commitment to improving Cultural Safety and Humility for Indigenous Peoples when accessing pharmacy services in BC.

To learn more about our new Strategic Plan please visit:

Bcpharmacists.org/STRATEGIC-PLAN

New Commitment Statement and Organizational Values

In conjunction with the updates made to our Strategic Plan, the College also introduced a new Commitment Statement and Organizational Values.

In the years since we pledged our commitment to improving BC pharmacy professionals’ work with Indigenous Peoples, several events placed added urgency on us, as a leader in healthcare, to re-evaluate the ways in which we fulfill our duties to British Columbians. Evidence of pervasive Indigenous-specific racism in BC’s healthcare system as outlined in the In Plain Sight Report; the discovery of unmarked graves on the sites of former residential schools; as well as surges in racism, violence, and discrimination against Black, Asian, Muslim, and other BIPOC communities in North America made it noticeably clear that we needed to change the way we approach healthcare regulation in 2023.

And while we have made considerable progress toward dismantling racism in healthcare, after looking at our organization’s identity it became clear that we needed to do a better job of embodying this commitment.

As a starting point, the College took a critical look at its Mission, Vision and Values and decided that they were no longer adequately reflecting our current social realities or the ideals we aspire to as a culturally safe, patient-centric, and equitable healthcare organization.

As such, the College Board and Staff worked with an external consultant to re-envision the College’s organizational purpose and objectives, as previously expressed in its Mission, Vision and Values Statements.

Our New Commitment Statement

We are committed to being an inclusive and collaborative regulator, dedicated to regulating pharmacies and pharmacy professionals in support of public safety, optimal health, and culturally-safe, equitable care – free from Indigenous-specific and other forms of racism.

Our New Values

Accountability
We value the importance of our work and take responsibility for our decisions, words and actions.

We commit to the following actions:

1. Speaking up and addressing any potential risks to the wellbeing of the public, our staff, and our registrants, including Indigenous-specific and other forms of discrimination and racism. 
    
2. Engaging in open discussions and focusing on finding practical solutions to achieve intended outcomes.
    
3. Committing to decisions while remaining agile to respond to change.
    
4. Continuing to assess and learn from our decisions and their impacts, both intended and unintended.
    
5. Inspiring our staff, and the pharmacy professionals we regulate, to engage in continued learning for the purpose of understanding and accepting the uncomfortable truths and historic trauma experienced by Indigenous peoples and marginalized communities. 

Integrity
We act ethically, honestly and in good faith.

We commit to the following actions:

1. Recognizing our privilege and embracing service and selflessness as leaders in healthcare.
    
2. Doing the right thing in the context of our Values and Commitment statement, even if it is uncomfortable or unpopular. 
    
3. Upholding the trust and confidence of the public. 
    
4. Following through on our respective and reciprocal commitments.

Indigenous Cultural Safety and Humility
We help to ensure that Indigenous Peoples have access to a culturally safe healthcare system, free from Indigenous-specific racism. 

We commit to the following actions:

1. Refusing to engage in denial of the uncomfortable truths and historic trauma that continue to impact Indigenous Peoples’ experiences within the healthcare settings we regulate. 
    
2. Humbly listening to the feedback and concerns of Indigenous clients and communities about the work that we do. 
    
3. Understanding, respecting and promoting awareness of the rights and interests of Indigenous Peoples in relation to accessing health services.
    
4. Seeking guidance from Indigenous Cultural Experts, Knowledge Keepers and Elders on matters related to the health and well-being of Indigenous Clients. 
    
5. Continuing to actively pursue inclusion of Indigenous ways of knowing into our policies and practices. 

Respect
We value the feelings, culture and preferences of others and recognize that they are as important as our own.

We commit to the following actions:

1. Creating and fostering a culturally safe environment.
    
2. Treating all people with dignity and kindness.
    
3. Embracing diversity in culture, ideas, perspectives and experiences.
    
4. Practicing active listening, empathy and professionalism.
    
5. Striving to achieve a shared understanding with the public, our registrants, and our partners.
    
6. Being open and available to listen and to collaborate.
    
7. Enriching our working environment with a greater Indigenous cultural presence.

Learn more about our Commitment Statement and Values at:

Bcpharmacists.org/Who-We-Are

Our New Logo

Finally, to tie everything together, we are also please to introduce the College’s new logo, which features a simple wordmark along with four coloured dots, as depicted below:

Accompanying the wordmark, we introduced four new colours to the College’s brand identity. These colours are intended to align with, and support, our new strategic plan, commitment statement and organizational values.

The College’s crest, or coat of arms, was originally designed in 1912 and reintroduced as the College’s official logo in 2015. The new logo repurposes the wordmark from our previous logo to connect our past with our future, all while ensuring our commitment to public safety, optimal health, and culturally safe, equitable care for all British Columbians.