Insight Online – January 2025

Securing union recognition at Superdrug
 

We have called upon more than 39,000 members to unite with those at Superdrug to help the latest group of pharmacists to secure union recognition at their employer.

An anonymous postal ballot will determine if pharmacists and foundation trainees at Superdrug secure an independent voice at work at the AS Watson owned company, which is also a member of the Company Chemists Association. Voting is scheduled to take place between 28 January and 17 February.

In 2019, Boots pharmacists voted in their thousands in a similar process, and since then a professional working relationship has evolved between the company and union who have reached beneficial agreements on pay and other workplace issues, and the two parties working collaboratively on many other topics.

PDA survey highlights frontline pharmacists’ experiences of delivering the Pharmacy First Service
 

The upcoming first anniversary of the Pharmacy First Service in England on 31 January 2025, provided an opportunity for us to survey our members to hear about their views and experiences of delivering the service to patients. This follows a Pharmacy First Service pre-launch survey in January 2024 which aimed to understand the preparedness and concerns among the workforce ahead of a hurried implementation.

A recent snapshot survey of PDA members in January 2025 has highlighted some challenges experienced by frontline pharmacists, as well as hearing their suggestions for operational and service improvements.

Professional unity: how the PDA family is bringing pharmacists together
 

We are the largest pharmacists’ membership organisation in the UK and are encouraging all employed and locum pharmacists to build that professional unity.

The merger of the Boots Pharmacists’ Association (BPA) into the PDA Union this year is just one example of how we are building a stronger, more representative voice for the UK pharmacist profession.

1 January 2025 was not only the day that the BPA became part of the PDA family, but it also marked five years since the National Association of Women Pharmacists (NAWP) became part of the PDA. As NAWP was originally founded in 1905, it is one of the oldest organisations in UK pharmacy and the PDA inherited that organisational history. NAWP is now flourishing as a PDA Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Network.