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Insight Online – June 2025

This month, read about our response to the government’s consultation seeking views on how to introduce mandatory ethnicity and disability pay reporting. PDA Locum Reps offer advice to their locum colleagues on how to thrive in the current climate, and read about how PDA Director of Pharmacy, Jay Badenhorst represented PDA members at the House of Lords.

Wed 25th June 2025 The PDA

In this issue:

PDA responds to disability and ethnicity
pay gap reporting

We have responded to the government’s consultation seeking views on how to introduce mandatory ethnicity and disability pay reporting for large employers (those with 250 or more employees). We are committed to tackling inequality in all forms and support the proposal that employers with more than 250 staff should monitor and report ethnicity and disability pay gaps, just as they are already required to do for gender pay gap reporting.

Members of the PDA Ability Network and BAME Network report experience of discrimination at work. This includes a lack of progression and experiencing a pay gap compared to other colleagues.

Previous research carried out by the PDA in collaboration with The Equality Trust highlighted that locums from ethnic minority groups were paid approximately 10% less than those from white British groups. The figures also revealed that relief managers, clinical pharmacists, and community pharmacists from ethnic minority groups were also paid less on average.
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PDA locum debt recovery on course to reach £1M

We are the champions of locum pharmacists across the UK and support members dealing with pharmacy businesses that have not paid locums for their services.For more than twenty years, we have supported locum members recover debts owed to them by rogue employers who have refused to honour the contracts they agreed.

The amount recovered by the PDA has increased dramatically over the last few years, with more than £100,000 being recovered each year. 2024 saw the PDA reach a record of £126,654.37 (almost £2500 each week on average).

The amount recovered by the PDA for members has already reached £54,000 in the first four and a half months of 2025.
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Two community pharmacy multiples among top 20 employers named and shamed for paying below minimum wage

The government has named 518 employers, and businesses, to highlight the amounts they underpaid their workers.

Of all those named by the government, the fourth largest underpayment was by pharmacy multiple L Rowland & Company (Retail) Limited, which underpaid a total of £307,342.87 to 2,293 workers. 16th in the list was Day Lewis PLC, which underpaid £82,819.47 to 604 workers.

By virtue of the fact that these specific breaches of employment law were in the government report, the employers in question have since paid back what they owe to their staff and faced financial penalties of up to 200% of the sum they had underpaid. The investigations by His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC), which compiled this latest list, concluded between 2015-2022.
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Recognising excellence, representing members

PDA Director of Pharmacy, Jay Badenhorst reflects on his recent visit to the House of Lords for the Recognition of Excellence (RoE) Awards 2025.

“Many of our members work side by side with the very individuals honoured at the RoE Awards – colleagues whose professionalism, empathy, and commitment are crucial to delivering safe and accessible care. At the PDA, we believe strongly in the value of the entire pharmacy team, and the RoE Awards exemplify what can happen when that value is recognised and celebrated…”

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How to thrive in 2025: PDA Locum Reps share advice with colleagues

After the PDA locum rates snapshot survey, PDA locum reps offer advice on how locums can continue to derive job satisfaction and make a living.

The PDA Snapshot survey exposed how difficult the conditions facing locum pharmacists are in the UK at this time. PDA locum members continue to report mounting dissatisfaction with the current reality of their working lives. Declining rates of pay with often non-existent opportunities for negotiation, non-payment of legitimately incurred expenses, and some contractors operating unscrupulously with last-minute changes to agreed shifts and questionable contract terms.

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Pensions Ombudsman issues statement regarding investigation into the Boots Pension scheme

Following their discussions with PDA, the company and Trustee, the Pensions Ombudsman has begun an investigation into the decision by the Trustees of Boots Pension Scheme to remove members’ option to retire on an unreduced pension at age 60.The update from 16 May confirms that the ombudsman have decided to take a ‘lead case’ approach in respect of this dispute, due to the number of members potentially affected by the issue.

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Pride Month 2025

Pride takes place every year in June. The month is celebrated as a way of raising awareness of issues affecting the LGBT+ community, along with promoting acceptance and equality. 

The PDA LGBT+ Network proactively addresses and campaigns around sexual orientation and transgender discrimination and its causes and consequences. Since its launch in April 2020, the network and its members have continued to work together to campaign and improve the working lives of pharmacists in the UK and work towards a more equal world.

Read the June LGBT+ Pharmacists’ Network Newsletter to learn more.
Below is a summary of some of the other key news stories that have been published on our website recently:
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Have you joined a PDA Member Network yet? 

The PDA was created by pharmacists for pharmacists and continues to exist for pharmacists. A significant way that pharmacists, pharmacy students and trainees can get involved or engage with our work is through member Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) Networks.

Our EDI Networks include the National Association of Women Pharmacists (NAWP), the Black Asian and Minority Ethnic Pharmacists’ Network (BAME Network), the Disabled Pharmacists’ Network (Ability Network), and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pharmacists’ Network (LGBT+ Network).PDA members can join an EDI Network for £10 per year, retired members for £20 per year, and non-PDA members for £30 per year. In accordance with the PDA’s support for future pharmacists, membership of the networks is FREE for PDA student and trainee members (PDA student and trainee membership is also FREE).

Get involved
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We host a number of FREE member-exclusive events and courses throughout the year all designed to support members at each stage of their career journey. Below is a list of our upcoming events and courses. Please visit the events section of our website for further information and to see a full list of our training and events.

CV Writing and Interview Skills 
Available until 31 December 2025
This online, self-directed course helps members to feel more confident when applying and interviewing for new jobs and positions.
Learn more

How to thrive in your trainee year
Thursday 17 July 2025, 7 pm – 8.30 pm
This online event brings together members who are at the beginning of their trainee year to talk about the foundation year training.
Learn more

Getting the best from your relationship with your supervisor (Being a mentee)
Tuesday 15 July – Sunday 31 August 2025
This online, self-directed course allows members to get the most from mentoring, whether that is formal or informal mentoring. This course will offer the opportunity to practise critical reflection to monitor and review your skills and knowledge development.
Learn more

Reps online induction
Available until 31 December 2025
This online training course is for new PDA Workplace Reps, regional or equality committee members and NEC members. This course should be completed as soon as possible by all PDA activists.
Learn more
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Save up to 20% on all of your holiday extras 

As a PDA member, you can take advantage of exclusive PDA Plus offers and discounts. This month, we bring you an exclusive offer from Holiday Extras. Holiday Extras has fast become the market leader in travel add-ons, offering competitively-priced airport parking, hotels and lounges at all the UK’s major airports. What’s more, you can also take advantage of great deals on airport transfers & car hire.

  • Up to 20% off UK airport taxis
  • Up to 20% off airport transfers
  • Up to 13% off airport parking
  • Up to 10% off airport hotels
  • Up to 10% off UK airport lounges

Log in to your PDA Plus account to learn more. *T&Cs apply.
LOG IN TO YOUR PDA PLUS ACCOUNT TODAY

 

 

 

 

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The Pharmacists' Defence Association is an appointed representative in respect of insurance mediation activities only of
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and is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (Register No 307063)

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