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Boots UK has agreed to grant a five per cent pay increase to its pharmacists following a collaborative agreement with the Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA). This raise acknowledges the unique market conditions faced by pharmacists in the community pharmacy sector, Boots UK and PDA said in a joint statement on Oct. 9. According to the statement, the pay increase applies to all pharmacists within the PDA Union's bargaining unit, except for those who joined or received a pay raise after August 2023. Moreover, trainee pharmacists or those not meeting performance standards are not eligible for the raise. Additionally, pharmacists and store managers will receive a pro-rata, one-time non-consolidated payment of £750 in August 2024. This payment serves as recognition for their dedication to establishing and providing new core and advanced NHS services, particularly in light of the substantial changes anticipated in the upcoming year, the joint statement said. The services include new medicines, hypertension, contraception, and common conditions services in England, the clinical community pharmacy service in Wales, and the Pharmacy First services in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) has welcomed the Chancellor's announcement of a 5.5 percent pay increase for NHS pharmacists. Following the acceptance of the NHS Pay Review Body's (PRB) recommendations, Chancellor Rachel Reeves shared the announcement in a speech to Parliament on 29 July. She confirmed that the pay review bodies' recommendations for health and education for 2024-25 would be fully implemented. Reeves' speech came alongside the release of her audit into public finances, a commitment she made shortly after the recent election. The audit confirms that the recommendations from various PRBs, including those for NHS staff, doctors, dentists, teachers, and other public servants, have been approved and will be acted upon. "That is the right decision for the people who work in and most importantly the people who use our public services…giving hardworking staff the pay rise they deserve while ensuring we can recruit and retain the people we need," Reeves announced.

LloydsPharmacy has offered three per cent increase in base pay backdated to 1 April for its store pharmacists, the union of Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDAU) who represented them has announced. "We are pleased to announce that following a consultation of its members, the PDAU has informed the company that agreement can be reached on the company's latest offer, made in July 2022," said the PDAU. The offer made by the company also includes introduction of an overtime rate of 1.5 times basic pay for each hour worked after contracted hours. This will run for a trial period and be reviewed as part of the next pay round. "All pharmacists will receive an initial £1,000 payment under the proposed LTIP scheme, paid in April 2024. This will be to all in the bargaining unit and will not be dependent on meeting any criteria such as targets," said PDAU.

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.