In this issue:

Pharmacists are being asked to switch pharmacies during the day
Working as a newly qualified community pharmacist in the pandemic
Government finally announces NHS pay award
Boots pharmacists’ pay claim 2021
Stay updated on the issues that matter by following us on social media
Visit the PDA at the Pharmacy show and CPC!
PDA Education receives positive member feedback
Preliminary information on the Flu vaccination programme 2021-2022
Latest News
Take advantage of great PDA Plus savings this summer!

Pharmacists are being asked to switch pharmacies during the day

The PDA is receiving a growing number of queries from members who report being pressurised by pharmacy multiple employers to close the branch they are working in part way through the opening hours and travel to open another branch later.If a community pharmacy employer is failing to meet their contractual arrangement with the NHS, this is an issue of contractual breach between those parties.

In response to requests from pharmacists, the PDA has created a form to assist such reporting which can be viewed here. This form is for England, however the principles apply everywhere. An improved UK-wide process is currently being developed.

Working as a newly qualified community pharmacist in the pandemic

In our latest Member Voice, newly qualified community pharmacist Samuel Opoku, shares his experience from resitting his trainee pharmacist year to becoming a community pharmacist during the pandemic. Samuel also gives advice to the next cohort who are getting ready for the assessment.

Samuel looks forward to developing his career, continuing his work with the PDA, and supporting those who are coming through into the profession.

Government finally announce NHS pay award

The Independent Pay Review Body (IPRB) recommendation to increase Agenda for Change pay rates by 3% backdated to 1 April has now been accepted in full by the UK government.

The increase applies to NHS employees in England and is likely to be replicated by the devolved administrations in Northern Ireland and Wales.

The Scottish Government already agreed a 4% increase for most employees, but lower for those on band 8a and above, backdated to 1 December 2020.

Boots pharmacists’ pay claim 2021

Pay negotiations on behalf of members working for Boots took place last week. This was the first of a number of meetings to take place during the summer aimed at reaching an agreement in time for an increase to be paid from 1 November 2021.

The PDA Union pay claim addresses many of the concerns raised by members in the annual pay and conditions survey and seeks to ensure members do not lose out in the long term as a result of last year’s pay freeze.

Stay updated on the issues that matter by following us on social media

Whilst trying to keep you updated on the issues that matter most to you, we are also mindful not to overload your inbox.

If you would like to stay up to date with key pharmacy-related issues and be the first to find out about PDA news and announcements, we encourage you to follow us on our various social media platforms by clicking on the social media icons towards the bottom of this newsletter.

Visit the PDA at the Pharmacy Show and CPC!

This year, we will be running two panel sessions at both the Pharmacy Show and The Clinical Pharmacy Congress (CPC). The sessions will include guest speakers from two of the PDA Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) Networks.

The Clinical Pharmacy Congress (CPC) is the largest gathering for the clinical pharmacy profession in the UK and is taking place at ExCeL London. The Pharmacy Show is a major gathering for pharmacy professionals and will take place over two days at the NEC in Birmingham.

The PDA will be delivering the two sessions at both shows titled ‘Women in Pharmacy’ and ‘Delivering race equality in Pharmacy.’

For more information on either of these shows click below.

PDA Education receives positive member feedback

The PDA Education Hub is an online platform that provides free training to PDA members.

The PDA has always wanted to ensure that members are supported in a wide range of ways. The delivery of the Education Hub was due to be part of this support and was accelerated due to the global pandemic.

Preliminary information on the Flu vaccination programme 2021-2022

The PDA received a high volume of calls around the flu service arrangements during the 2020-2021 vaccination programme.

The situation this year is likely to be even more complex than last year due to the need to co-ordinate the flu vaccination service with the Covid-19 booster vaccinations for eligible cohorts.

Pharmacists who wish to provide the service will need to declare that they have undertaken the requisite training as required for the current 2021-2022 programme.

Below is a summary of some of the other key news stories that have been published on the PDA website recently:

23/07/2021 – England is the only country not to issue pandemic recognition payment to NHS workers

23/07/2021 – Self-isolation rules changes for NHS and social care employees in England

20/07/2021 – Supporting colleagues taking part in Eid ul-Adha

18/07/2021 – Black Leaders Awareness Day – 18 July 2021

14/07/2021 – Ability E-Newsletter – July 2021

14/07/21 – Happy International Non-Binary People’s Day!

13/07/2021 – The PDA calls on community pharmacy employers to show leadership and require the wearing of masks in pharmacies

07/07/2021 – Covid-19 safety measures must continue in pharmacies

07/07/2021 – Pharmacist Support is seeking new Trustees

06/07/2021 – NHS Scotland Primary Locum £500 bonus payment portal is now available

06/07/2021 – Continued importance of the Covid-19 vaccination programme

05/07/2021 – PDA Union welcomes award of George Cross to NHS employees

05/07/2021 – Celebrating 73 years of the NHS

03/07/2021 – PDA responds to news of Morrisons takeover

Take advantage of great PDA Plus savings this summer!

With a scorching summer so far, many of you are probably taking advantage of getting out and enjoying the weather in your down time.

As a PDA member, you have access to a wide range of PDA Plus offers that save you money on your everyday spending. Whether it’s grocery shopping and days out, to treating yourself to a cinema trip or a new car, PDA Plus has exclusive offers for you.

Many of us are planning staycations this year but for those planning to go further afield, save 5% on package holidays. This offer includes access to great prices, exclusive deals on hotels, flights and days out, and tickets for attractions and sporting events around the world (ABTA, ATOL and IATA bonded). T&Cs apply. Click below to learn more.