Reasonable adjustments play a crucial role in promoting inclusivity and equal access for all in pharmacy regardless of their disabilities. Along with this, under the Equality Act 2010, employers have a duty to make reasonable adjustments for employees. However, results from the PDA’s recent disability discrimination survey revealed that 68% of respondents said that their employer had not or only partially provided reasonable adjustments to accommodate their disability at work.
One PDA member said, “When I was working in community pharmacy, access to a chair would have made a significant difference. It would have helped with my knees being less swollen and painful. I was refused access to a chair plenty of times. Sitting down to check/do the CD balance, read the SOPs, and other activities as a pharmacist would often be considered as lazy in community pharmacy. I had to resign from one of my jobs because of lack of access to chairs.”
It took a change in jobs before the member was able to get the support they needed. The member continued, “I worked for a supermarket chain where there was access to one chair for the pharmacist to sit on while checking and that improved my health significantly and my performance at work and then moved to work as a PCN pharmacist where work can be done seated. Now I work remotely from home as a PCN pharmacist.
A chair is a simple and inexpensive adjustment yet can be the deciding factor for whether pharmacists with a wide range of different disabilities are able to stay in the profession. There is no legitimate or rational reason to limit the talent pool in this way. As disability is by far the most underrepresented protected characteristic, profession-wide change is needed to support and retain disabled pharmacists.”
Employers not only fall foul of the law by not making reasonable adjustments but also lose out on the skills of a professional who could make a great contribution to their organisation.
As long-term health conditions and disabilities can change over time or fluctuate day-to-day, not only should reasonable adjustments be made but need to also be regularly reviewed to ensure that they are still appropriate. The PDA’s factsheet on reasonable adjustments can provide further information and can be found by clicking here.
PDA members seeking support to ensure their employer makes the reasonable adjustments they need are encouraged to contact the PDA Member Support Centre. Members who have any examples of good practice, where employers have made reasonable adjustments and been proactive in supporting them are also encouraged to share their story by emailing ability@the-pda.org.
Get involved
- If you would like to get more involved in this campaign or any other activities of the network, please email ability@the-pda.org.
- Join the PDA Ability Network here.
- Follow the PDA Ability Network on social media using the hashtag #PDAability
Learn more
- It’s Time to Address Discrimination: Standing up for Sitting Down
- PDA Ability Network releases initial findings from the disability discrimination survey
- PDA Ability Network produces factsheet supporting those accessing reasonable adjustments
- The Equality Act 2010
- PDA Member Support Centre
- ‘It’s Time’ campaign series
Not yet a PDA member?
If you have not yet joined the PDA, we encourage you to join today and ask your colleagues to do the same.
Membership is FREE to pharmacy students, trainee pharmacists and for the first three months of being newly qualified.
Read about our key member benefits here.