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Extending its support for the Prescription Charges Coalition (PCC), the Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) is asking pharmacists in England to share their experiences of patients denying prescriptions due to financial issues. PDA members who have practiced in the country within the last 12 months are asked to complete the Prescription Charges Coalition survey by Sunday 28 January. The PCC is an alliance of more than 50 organisations campaigning to abolish unfair prescription charges for people with long-term conditions in England. All members of the coalition, including PDA and Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS), understand that if patients do not receive their prescribed medicines due to the cost, their health may deteriorate, and this can increase costs for the National Health Service (NHS).

The Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) has welcomed the government's defeat in the House of Lords on the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill. It believes that the proposed Bill, if enacted, would allow the government to dictate minimum levels of service during times of industrial action, enabling employers to name specific employees that they require in work. Those employees could then face losing their jobs if they failed to turn up to work on that day. Trade unions could also be fined if they did not force those named individuals to go to work. PDA director, Paul Day said, "This Bill should be of real concern to pharmacists and other health professionals. The idea of their employer being able to effectively conscript them to work or face the sack does not feel like a positive employment relations environment." The House of Lords has voted for key amendments to the Bill to prevent unions from being required to force workers to comply. This also prevents workers from being forced to work or face the sack and allows for greater consultation and Parliamentary scrutiny on the proposals which the Westminster government is trying to implement. The House of Commons will now be required to vote on the amendments over the next few weeks. Whilst the House of Lords amendments are likely to be defeated, it shows the degree of opposition there is to this Bill.

Pharmacists working in Northern Ireland think the retention fees are too high, and most would prefer to pay in instalments, if that option is available, amid the increased living costs, a new survey has found. 97 per cent of the respondents to the survey, conducted by the Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) of its Northern Irish members, felt the fees were too high. Four in five said they would opt to pay in instalments if this option were available to them in light of the challenges of significant one-off payments. On average, the fees accounted for 23 per cent of a pharmacist's take-home pay for one month, and 98 per cent did not see any value added to their professional standing for the sum, according to the survey. The PDA said the respondents also reported feeling disadvantaged among their colleagues in terms of how fees are collected, with many also wondering why the registration fee was not offset for those on maternity leave or working reduced or flexible hours.

Pharmacists, along with workers from other public sector workplaces, marched on 8 September demanding that the Scottish government take all available action to mitigate the biggest reduction in living standards workers will have experienced for generations. Pharmacists Defence' Association (PDA) members participated in the Scottish Trade Unions Congress (STUC) march to let the government know that "Scotland demands better". Paul Flynn, PDA national officer, said: "Pharmacists will be unwelcomely familiar with diminished purchasing power and a squeeze on household budgets for patients, colleagues and pharmacists but what we will see this year and into 2023 will make previous experience pale by comparison." The march organised by STUC saw thousands of workers, activists and concerned individuals march through the centre of Edinburgh's Historic Old Town in good spirits while bearing flags and banners, chanting, singing, and calling for change in Scotland.

The Company Chemists' Association (CCA) says the data from the 'Locate a Locum's annual report' has revealed that the average locum rate rose by 124 per cent in Scotland in 2021 compared to the previous year and that the trend seems to have continued since. According to the report, in Scotland, the average rate has risen from £20.08 to £44.89 which is a massive £24.81 difference. This was in response to the pharmacists Defence Association (PDA)'s statement on 15 times more closure of pharmacy in Scotland by a CCA member. "This clearly demonstrates that demand for pharmacists in Scotland is outstripping supply," said the association. Explaining further, it said: "Our members have been serving Scottish communities and patients without issue for decades. Recent pressures, however, are unprecedented. Workforce challenges are affecting all parts of healthcare across the UK - and community pharmacy is no different. Pharmacists remain on the Home Office's shortage occupation list for this reason."

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) has raised concern over the Health Education England (HEE)'s decision on cutting funding to independent prescribing training. The HEE has reportedly decided that no funding will be available to back-fill trainees undertaking the pharmacist independent prescribing (PIP) qualification, or for the supervision of trainees by DPPs and DMPs. The PDA noted that, whilst all successful trainee pharmacists will be entering the GPhC register as independent prescribers from 2026, the existing pharmacist workforce is reliant on opportunities to undertake prescriber training through release from their employment, and the ability to secure a Designated Medical Practitioner (DMP) or Designated Prescribing Practitioner (DPP) to support the 90 days of supervised practice required. The association said it has already heard examples of potential DMPs or DPPs requesting a significant fee from trainees before they will provide supervision, adding that meeting that request is not an option for many. "This latest decision threatens to undermine the availability of the large numbers of pharmacists seeing supervisors as more IP training becomes available," it said in a statement.

The Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) is probing major concerns arising from Boots' communications to pharmacists regarding the company's recently announced pension arrangements. In November, Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA), the parent company of Boots, transferred the Boots employees' pension scheme to the financial service provider Legal and General (L&G) in a £4.8 billion deal. Boots notified staff that terms allowing an unreduced pension from age 60 have ceased immediately, following its agreement with L&G. The PDA highlighted member concerns regarding Boots management's announcement that an unreduced pension from the age of 60 is a discretionary benefit and not guaranteed under the Boots Pension Scheme (BPS), contrary to some members' assumptions.

The Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) has submitted evidence to the NHS Pay Review Body (PRB), emphasising on the recruitment and retention of NHS pharmacists. It has urged the PRB to help the NHS achieve two important objectives - ensuring that pharmacists can achieve well-rewarded and the service is viewed as an a ppealing alternative by student pharmacists. The PDA suggested that for the NHS to remain competitive, the PRB should focus its pay approach on employees within Bands 5-8 this year. It recognised that the last recommendation from the PRB was a "flat rate increase" and it left those working in the above-mentioned bands feeling "unhappy", which led to the CSP taking strike action over pay for the first time in their history.

Boots and the Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) Union have released a joint statement to confirm that there will be a pay increase for trainee pharmacists in England and Northern Ireland from April 2024. From 1 April 2024, the new hourly pay rate for trainee pharmacists working at Boots pharmacies will be £12.69 for Zone A in England/Northern Ireland, £13.79 for Zone B in England and £14.05 for Zone C in England. "This increase will be applied centrally in the April pay run," said the statement from the Boots and the PDA Union. Team members can see the new rate of pay in the Benefits Box during the annual enrolment window from 20 February 2024, it added. In August 2023, pay for trainee pharmacists at Boots in England and Northern Ireland was increased to £11.64 per hour for Zone A, £12.77 per hour for Zone B and £12.88 per hour for Zone C.

The BAME Pharmacists Network of the Pharmacists' Defence Association has elected three women pharmacists as it's new officials. Following the network's second set of elections since its launch in April 2020, Sima Hassan has been elected as president, Wai Chan Lau her deputy and Osariemen Egharevba-Buckman as honorary secretary. A community pharmacist for over 18 years and an academic, Ms Hassan will take over from outgoing president Elsy Gomez Campos who saw through the work of the network during a very difficult period in the midst of a global pandemic. Ms Hassan has been a prominent member of the BAME pharmacist community. She recognises and appreciates the complexities of issues that BAME pharmacists face and the scope for work that needs to done for wider recognition.

The Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) has urged pharmacists working in Covid-19 vaccination role to report any concerns about the needles and syringes supplied with the Moderna Spikevax Bivalent vaccine. The association has heard reports of bending when vaccinators pierce the top of the vial containing the Covid-19 vaccine doses, needles falling out during manipulation and appearing to be bent even before removal from the packaging. PDA has advised its members who are working in a Covid-19 vaccination role "to report any concerns via the Yellow Card medical device reporting system, and to keep up to date with NHS clinical updates for ongoing information and guidance." Current advice from the NHS includes sharing of video and poster resources (available on FutureNHS) which have been produced by the supplier to support the introduction of the new administration needles and syringes for Spikevax Bivalent. This is following a switch from BD Flu+ 23G x 25mm 1ml syringe combined needle and syringe (CNS) to the Owen Mumford Unifine Safety Retractable Needle 25G x 25mm & 1ml Syringe.

Pharmacists, who are working on the frontline of healthcare, can play an important role in raising awareness about mental health and helping those experiencing poor mental health. With this belief, the Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) is encouraging its representatives at Boots to participate in Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training offered by the company. Nicola Rees, PDA Rep and Boots pharmacist from Solihull, who has recently undertaken training as a Mental Health First Aider, said that trained pharmacists can help in reducing the stigma associated with mental health and identifying the early warning signs that someone may be experiencing poor mental health. Mental Health First Aid training enables pharmacists to "support individuals and signpost to sources of advice and support." Rees expressed that becoming a mental health first aider has empowered her and greatly increased her confidence in being able to support someone dealing with a mental health issue, such as having thoughts of suicide or self-harm.

Boots UK will offer a staring salary of £42,000 per annum to newly qualified pharmacists joining the pharmacy chain. The company also revealed that "in addition, any existing pharmacists in the bargaining unit currently receiving less than £43k." The newly announced hike in the salary - following an agreement reached between the multiple and and the Pharmacist Defence Association - will be effective from 1 August 2022. "This enhanced offer for Newly Qualified Pharmacists and further investment in those in the early stages of their careers at Boots is a key part of our commitments to pharmacists," the company said. Boots and PDA Union also announced in a joint statement that they will conduct a further formal review of all pharmacists' pay in accordance with the collective agreement, effective from 1 November 2022.

NHS England has launched a prescription savings campaign, particularly for those living with long-term conditions. The campaign is specifically for individuals residing in deprived areas as they receive more prescriptions than people in affluent areas. It is also known that people with low income could be entitled to help with costs or free prescriptions depending on their circumstances. The Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA), an active member of the Prescription Charges Coalition, is actively striving to eliminate prescription charges in England as well. They are focussing on "NHS England's current efforts to minimise charges so that members practising in England can alert patients to this possibility".

More than a third of pharmacists who participated in a survey said they have seen an increase in patients declining prescriptions due to the cost in the last 12 months. The survey was jointly conducted by the Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS), extending their support for the Prescription Charges Coalition (PCC). Responding to the survey, 90 per cent of pharmacists admitted seeing cases where patients decline all the medicines on a prescription due to cost. Nearly all respondents said they have seen cases where patients declined some of their prescribed medicines and more than a quarter of them have experienced such situation often. They have warned of the impact of prescription charges as patients are denying vital medicines, including those for blood pressure and mental health, inhalers, antibiotics, pain relief, and statins, which can have potential consequences for the individual's health.

Recent NHS data sheds light on the evolving landscape of fit note certification, indicating a gradual expansion of roles beyond traditional medical practitioners to pharmacists and nurses. This uptake in numbers coincides with the Department of Work and Pensions's (DWP) call for evidence in relation to fit note reform which will remain open till 8 July 2024. According to figures published by NHS Digital, during the nine-month period from April 2023 to December 2023, pharmacists certified a significant number of fit notes. Approximately 1.4 per cent of fit notes of the 8 million were issued by pharmacists while the rest were issued by the GP surgeries reflecting the impact following legislative amendments in July 2022, which extended certification authority to pharmacists, nurses, occupational therapists, and physiotherapists. In June 2022, the Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) advised pharmacists not to sign fit notes where the required therapeutic, diagnostic, or examination skills lie outside their scope of competence. The association remarked that healthcare professionals needed mandatory training under the Health Education England before they are fit to issue fitness notes to the public.

Campaigners have submitted an open letter to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), urging the Minister for Primary Care and Public Health to freeze prescription charges to keep people with long-term conditions alive and well. The campaign is led by the Prescription Charges Coalition, which represents over 50 organisations, including Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) and Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA). Currently, the prescription charge is £9.65 per item, and campaigners have asked the government to freeze it for 2024 and 2025 as people living with long-term health conditions in England are "being forced to choose between heating, eating, and taking their vital medication on a daily basis." In 2023, a study conducted by the Prescription Charges Coalition revealed that almost 10 per cent of survey participants had skipped medication in the previous year due to the cost of prescriptions. This led to increased physical and mental health problems, as well as impacted the time they took off work. Laura Cockram, Chair of the Prescription Charges Coalition and Head of Campaigns at Parkinson's UK, expressed deep concern that a further rise in the charge this year will lead to people skipping or not taking the full dose of their medication, which will affect their health and put more pressure on the already under pressure NHS.