The Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) has become a member of the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP).
On Thursday (22 September), the FIP council voted to welcome the PDA as a full member of the global federation of organisations that brings together and advances
pharmacy.
Mark Koziol, PDA chairman, said: "Being admitted to FIP with such a decisive level of support from its Council means that the PDA can ensure that UK pharmacists
can enjoy a clear and powerful voice representing their collective professional interests at global level, which of late they could not.
"Bringing one of the largest pharmacy membership organisations in the world to FIP also gives the PDA significant influence in being able to inform the policies of
the World Health Organisation. This means that the PDA can do even more for members by helping to make pharmacy practice more professionally fulfilling for them."
"The PDA constantly seeks ways to provide even better support for members; membership of FIP will give the PDA much more influence and will result in better outcomes
for pharmacists," the association said.
To support humanitarian crises in other parts of the world, the PDA approached FIP, as a global pharmacy leadership organisation.
All pharmacy businesses are reporting that they are struggling to find the registered professionals needed to open their pharmacies, clarified the Company
Chemists' Association (CCA) in response to an attack by the Pharmacists' Defence Association.
Last week, PDA allegedly accused some large pharmacy chains of 'orchestrating' full or part-time closures of some of their shops due to the staff shortage.
In its Open Letter published on Tuesday (July 19), PDA demanded urgent action "to protect patients by ensuring that essential community pharmacy services are
provided safely and consistently".
"All parts of the healthcare system are struggling to recruit staff and to assume that pharmacies would be immune to such pressures, seems fanciful," said CCA.
"CCA members are working extraordinarily hard to prevent temporary closures, but recruitment and retention of pharmacists is becoming increasingly tough. The recent
rise in Covid cases and the beginning of the summer holiday season in parts of the UK have only worsened the situation."
The Association also showed data from the PSNC Pharmacy Pressures Survey (April 2022) which found that 91 per cent of pharmacies are experiencing staff shortages,
clearly demonstrating that these shortages are affecting the entire sector.
The Pharmacists' Defence Association has called on the Scottish government to end unnecessary pharmacy closures and introduce emergency regulations to force
companies that operate Scotland's pharmacies to open on the days and hours they have agreed.
It is concerned that decisions made by some health boards in Scotland have now allowed pharmacy owners to close their pharmacies on Saturdays.
The PDA is worried that a pharmacy closure could have negative impact on patients and other parts of the NHS, including neighbouring pharmacies, addiction and mental
health services, and minor injury and A&E units.
The association claims that there are record numbers of registered pharmacists who are available to work and therefore a decision to close a pharmacy over staff
shortages is misleading.
"The business owners may claim there is a shortage of pharmacists, but when they actively cancel agreed hours of work it does not suggest there is a shortfall of
workers," said the PDA, adding: "These business decisions often include closing their pharmacies at very short notice, even when pharmacists are available and willing
to work."
The Pharmaceutical Defence Association (PDA) has urged health ministers of the UK to take a strict and necessary action against the unnecessary closures of
pharmacy.
Concerned over the rising number of pharmacy closures, PDA has written an open letter to health secretary Steve Barclay; Robin Swann, health minister for Northern
Ireland; Eluned Morgan, minister of health and social services for Wales; and Humza Yousaf, the Scottish health secretary.
In its letter, PDA said: "The minister of health must now ensure the regulation of poor business behaviours and be prepared to take over rogue pharmacies, however
large their corporate owner may be. If patients' access to NHS services is to be protected from the consequences of avoidable full or part-day pharmacy closures."
The association believes it is only a matter of time before serious harm to patients' health will be caused by the decisions of mainly large chains of pharmacies to
close some of their branches for all or part of a day, instead of engaging an available pharmacist to cover their agreed opening hours.
"While a small number of unforeseen closures have always occurred from time to time in pharmacies for genuine reasons, the indiscriminate scale at which closures
have now become commonplace seems to have evolved over the last 20 months."
The Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) has expressed concerns over Boots UK's decision to reduce supplemental opening hours at some pharmacies.
The association stated: "Some pharmacists and other staff at Boots are being notified this week of changes to opening hours at their place of work, with local briefings taking place. The PDA are supporting their members to deal with any potential impact on their employment."
It said that reducing pharmacy opening hours would affect patients' access to a trusted healthcare professional, especially if it is being done by the largest community pharmacy multiple.
It even called upon the NHS to adequately fund community pharmacies to ensure they remain open when patients and local communities need their services.
Meanwhile, Boots management has informed PDA that most of its employees are not pharmacists, and "less pharmacists are expected to be directly impacted by these changes than other colleagues," PDA said.
The Pharmacists Defence Association (PDA) has expressed its interest to support pharmacists impacted with the latest announcement of the closure of Tesco
pharmacies.
"Tesco have followed ASDA and LloydsPharmacy (at Sainsbury's) to announce cost cutting changes to their stores, impacting hundreds of jobs," the association said.
The PDA's interests in the announcement relate to the planned closure of eight in-store Tesco pharmacies and the impact of those closures upon pharmacists, however
the union is of course concerned for all those impacted.
The PDA Union will support individual PDA members impacted by the decision so that they are aware of, and can exercise, their rights at work in relation to this
situation.
Paul Day, PDA Union Director said, "In addition to the immediate impact on pharmacists employed at the stores marked for closure, this is the third instance in just
twelve days of reductions in the overall access to a pharmacy for NHS patients. We expect those who represent communities to be concerned about the loss of a key
part of their local NHS service."
The Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) has republished a three-year-old report which underscores the vital role of community pharmacists and pharmacy t
echnicians in a 'modern NHS' amid speculations that the government is set to announce plans to enhance the role of community pharmacy teams.
PDA's 2019 report which "took three year to compile" highlighted significant empirical evidence and made recommendations to develop the roles of both community
pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, and the skill mix required to meet patients' needs.
It examined in detail the role of pharmacy technicians in community pharmacy.
The PDA still that pressure on the NHS can be managed much more effectively through the better use of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. In the community
pharmacy setting, it is evident that if the further development of the pharmacist's role is to be facilitated and pharmacists are to become more patient facing in
the future, an extended role and greater responsibility for pharmacy technicians is not only desirable, but ultimately it is essential.
The Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) has raised concerns over "certain elements" of the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland (PSNI)'s consultation
on pharmacy staffing levels.
PSNI recently consulted on its draft guidance for pharmacy staffing levels which sets out to explain what pharmacy owners and superintendents must do to ensure that
each pharmacy has enough skilled and qualified staff. This includes having an appropriate skill mix, to provide safe and effective pharmacy services which comply
with the standards.
PDA said that the role of the 'responsible pharmacist' has not been "fully acknowledged" and that more clarification is needed.
The association has made a few recommendations to PSNI that includes: the guidance must explicitly recognise the statutory role of the responsible pharmacist and
their authority in securing the safe operations within the pharmacy.
"The guidance should specify that pharmacy owners and superintendents must ensure that they do not set incentives or targets which may compromise the professional
judgement of staff."
It also recommended that unregistered staff (including unregistered managers) are accountable firstly to the responsible pharmacist for any activity involving the
clinical care of patients (for example unregistered managers must not interfere in diary bookings for vaccinations).
The Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) has announced that it will support its member impacted by the decision to close 300 more Boots pharmacies.
After the announcement of closure of 300 Boots pharmacies over the next year, the association believes this is approximately one out of every eight current
Boots pharmacy locations.
The company has insisted that the objective of this exercise is not to make existing pharmacist employees redundant, and they hope to be able to redeploy
individuals into nearby alternative locations. However, PDA believes that it is unlikely that suitable alternative roles will be available for all and
redundancy is a possibility for some.
The PDA Union will provide pharmacists with information, support, and representation as part of the recognition agreement so that members are aware of and
can exercise their rights at work. PDA officials will be in continued dialogue with the company throughout this closure programme.
The Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) has reacted to the chief pharmaceutical officer (CPhO) for Wales's offer for community pharmacy contractors,
offering a funding uplift for community pharmacy on the condition of an increase in pay for some staff by at least the amount currently being imposed upon NHS
employees.
The PDA has expressed a mixed reaction to the intervention being attempted by the Welsh government.
"It is unusual for a government to be so closely involved in the pay of their suppliers' employees and those at some community pharmacy employers have a contractual
right to a pay review at times of year that may not synchronize with the government's financial cycle, so this initiative may have different impacts at different
employers," said the association.
"In addition, the PDA negotiates pay at the largest two community pharmacy employers and works alongside other trade unions that organise other pharmacy workers.
This government intervention must not disrupt or attempt to bypass those processes."
The Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) has launched a brutal attack on some large pharmacy chains for full or part-day closures of some of their shops
throughout the UK.
It published an Open Letter on Tuesday (July 19) demanding urgent action "to protect patients by ensuring that essential community pharmacy services are provided
safely and consistently".
PDA chair Mark Koizol, who wrote the letter, went on to allege that many of those closure were "being orchestrated".
He wrote that the "pharmacist shortage" narrative cited as a reason for these closures was "very different" from "the reality experienced by our members", including
both employed and locum pharmacists.
"We have evidence to show that these closures are being announced up to four weeks in advance," Koizol claimed.
He gave examples of how a large company attempted to reduce the pre-agreed rate of locums and where this was not accepted, the shift was cancelled, resulting in the
pharmacy being closed for part or full day.
The Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) Union says it will be reaching out to LloydsPharmacy soon over a better deal on salary increase after the majority
of its members rejected a three per cent offer made by the company recently.
Paul Day, director, PDA Union told Pharmacy Business: "The PDA Union will communicate the response of employed pharmacists to the company and seek further discussion
to try and find an offer that will be acceptable to union members.
"Both management and union representatives have a vested interest in working to find such a solution and that is the outcome we hope to achieve."
After months of negotiation by the PDA Union, the company offered a three per cent increase in salaries from the 1.8 per cent in the earlier offer made by the
company.
"Through negotiation over last few months that was increased to 3.0 per cent, plus a long term incentive plan (LTIP). Though the LTIP potentially offers large
bonuses, it isn't guaranteed. Therefore what we put to members was the confirmed offer of three per cent increase in salaries," said Paul.
Pharmacists delivering to the Scottish prison service have been notified by their employer LloydsPharmacy that they may be transferred to another employer or
even be at risk of redundancy.
The Pharmacists Defence Association said: "It is supporting pharmacists employed by LloydsPharmacy who have been advised that the company has not retendered for the
contract to provide pharmacy services to the Scottish prison service.
As a result of LloydsPharmacy exiting the contract, those pharmacists may transfer to whichever employer takes over the service, or if their function does not
transfer to a new employer they will be at risk of redundancy."
The PDA Union will be representing these individuals to ensure they understand and can exercise their rights at work to either continue their current role under a
new employer, transfer to a suitable alternative role, or leave with the appropriate redundancy compensation.
PDA members impacted by this change can contact the PDA Service Centre for advice.
The Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) has begun conciliation with 86 pharmacy companies to safeguard the interests of former LloydsPharmacy pharmacists.
The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas), a government agency, serves as a mediator between companies and employees to resolve disputes. If the
ongoing mediation prove unsuccessful, individual employees retain the option to file claims in the employment tribunal, the PDA has said.
The ongoing dispute centres around employers potentially failing to conduct the required consultation under the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment)
regulations (TUPE) with employees and their representatives during employee transfers, the PDA said.
The TUPE legislation, known for its complexity and technical nature, applies when a section of the company, like a pharmacy sold as an asset using standard disposal,
undergoes a transfer.
According to NHS England's recent pharmaceutical list, LloydsPharmacy has either sold or shuttered 461 branches since September 2022. According to NHSE data, as of
June 30, the pharmacy chain operates approximately 512 pharmacies in England. This positions it as the third-largest chain after Boots UK and Well Pharmacy.
"Discussions must involve the government on behalf of NHS Scotland, CPS on behalf of the owners, and the PDA as the pharmacists' representative," it said.
The association believes that there is a need for discussion and decision-making that listens to and balances the rights and responsibilities of both employers
and workers, to generate benefits for individuals, organisations, and society.
It added: "Even though Scotland provides the most generous community pharmacy settlement in the UK, recent reports suggest it is not enough for pharmacy owners
with CPS's rejection of the latest funding proposal in May. Though the Scottish government found an extra £20M to ease pressures related to medicines price
increases, an overall agreement has still not been reached."
"The UK-wide chains may be doing less well in the parts of their networks covered by the Westminster government's contract, but the taxpayers and government of
Scotland need to be given reassurance that they are in no way subsidising funding shortfalls in England's pharmacy contract."
Recently, when LloydsPharmacy's Scotland branches recently came on the market, they appear to have been sold exclusively to existing contractors, including the
UK-wide multiple, Rowlands Pharmacy, who have acquired 30 of them. Other small and medium-sized Scottish pharmacy chains have apparently been able to double in
size overnight by acquiring branches.
Pharmacy leaders have called for reassurance that the workforce plan, expected by April 2023, will cover the entirety of the pharmacy workforce across the
health service, including in community pharmacies.
A joint letter has been signed by representatives from 14 pharmacy organisations which highlights that with continued pressures on services, it is more important
than ever to support the pharmacy workforce so that the staff needed to deliver patient care now and into the future can be recruited, trained and retained.
Mark Koziol, Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) Chairman said: "Our pharmacist members practise across the entire health system and have the potential to do far
more to help patients and improve public health, but they can only do so safely if they are in appropriately staffed workplaces. This is a workforce issue, so it is
important that the Government works with representatives of the pharmacist workforce, and of their employers, to get a suitably agreed plan in place."
Thorrun Govind, English Pharmacy Board Chair, Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS), said: "It will be crucial to use the skills of all our health professions to support
the NHS recovery, reduce health inequalities, manage the growing cost of long-term conditions, and deliver best value from medicines.
The Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) is advising locum pharmacists to take screenshots of online agreements due to an increasing number of reports
where community pharmacy businesses are unilaterally amending agreed-upon terms after a contract has been confirmed.
The PDA highlighted one recent case where a locum was informed at short notice by the community pharmacy business that they would no longer pay the agreed hourly
rate.
The business then re-advertised the shift, falsely claiming that the booked locum was unwell.
Unable to secure a locum at the new rate before the shift, the pharmacy closed, leaving patients and the local community without access to services.
In such circumstances, the PDA advises affected locums to notify the relevant health boards or Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) of such breaches of NHS terms of
service.
At the recent 'Locum Matters' online event held on June 25, 2024, members of the Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) discussed critical issues facing
locum pharmacists, with a disturbing trend taking center stage: employers pressuring locum pharmacists to accept lower rates under the threat of potential pharmacy
closures.
The event, organised in response to feedback from PDA locum members, addressed a range of significant topics including training for the recent Pharmacy First
Services, respect for professional autonomy, and the need for adequate rest breaks.
However, the issue of rate pressure and pharmacy closures was a focal point.
Several locum pharmacists reported that some employers were leveraging the possibility of pharmacy closures to coerce them into working for lower pay.
This unethical practice has raised alarm within the locum community, highlighting the precarious working conditions many face.
The Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) has reported growing concerns among its members regarding their safety at work as the far-right, anti-immigration
riots escalate across the UK.
"We have received calls from members who are concerned about their safety at work and feel vulnerable in communities where the violence and disorder are taking
place," the organisation told Pharmacy Business.
The PDA also reported that some hospital outpatient departments and GP surgeries were forced to close their doors to allow staff to get home safely, which may
impact services to patients.
In light of these challenges, the PDA is calling on employers to ensure that they are adequately communicating with pharmacists in locations at risk of conflict
and to prioritise the health and safety of staff and patients.
"We are aware that pharmacists and their teams working in areas where this criminal activity is taking place are feeling vulnerable but that they also want to
ensure that their communities are safe and have access to the vital services pharmacies provide.
In a bid to amplify the role of pharmacists in clinical services and vaccination programs, the Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) has embarked on a
groundbreaking collaboration with Aston University.
This initiative, funded by Innovate UK Business Connect, aims to explore the feasibility and impact of integrating additional healthcare interventions within
community pharmacies.
"The Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) research project represents an exciting opportunity to advance the role of pharmacists in patient care," remarked
Alison Jones, Director of Policy at PDA.
"This project will be an important part of that evolution, supporting individual pharmacists to have more opportunities to practice and so develop more fulfilling
careers."
Led by the PDA and Aston University, the project will commence imminently, focusing on the Priory Community Pharmacy in Dudley.