Figures reported to the AGM were for a total membership of 40,588 as of 31 March 2026. It is important to note that the PDA’s membership data is independently verified by an approved person in accordance with legislation, whereas some pharmacy organisations can declare membership numbers which are not subject to any independent scrutiny.
Mark Pitt, PDA Union General Secretary said, “There are other organisations which represent a mixture of the pharmacy team and others that must act in the public interest. However, the PDA was created by, and for, pharmacists and we are committed to remaining exclusively for that profession and acting in their interests.
We continue to grow year on year and our exclusive focus on pharmacists helps drive our growth and gives us significant influence. As we approach our 25th year we are seeing more members retire; however, new joiners outnumber those retiring and therefore our net membership continues to increase.
The PDA exists to “safeguard, maintain the honour, and promote the interests of pharmacists in their exercise of the profession of pharmacy.” The more members we have, the greater our influence on behalf of our entire membership and we invite each employed and locum pharmacist to join us.”
The PDA employs experienced pharmacists, lawyers and other specialists; however, it is not only there for when individual members are having difficulty at work or in their professional practice. The PDA negotiates terms and conditions for more than a third of all pharmacists and secures pay settlements worth £Millions each year. PDA Education provides free development to members, from students through to experienced pharmacists, supporting members to advance their careers.
The PDA family now includes the National Association of Women Pharmacists (NAWP), which was founded in 1905 and the former Boots Pharmacists Association (BPA), which was founded in 1973. The PDA BAME Pharmacists Network, the LGBT+ Pharmacists Network, and the Ability Network for pharmacists with disability. These three additional networks were formed in 2020.
The PDA has a seat on the International Pharmaceutical Federation Council and is affiliated with other federations and alliances in Europe, Great Britain, Northern Ireland, and Scotland. As the professional voice of employed and locum pharmacists, the PDA represents their collective views and perspectives on debates about pharmacy practice and employment issues across the UK, Crown Dependencies and beyond. The PDA constantly engages with stakeholders, including regulators, governments, the World Health Organisation, and international peers.
Learn more
- Boots Pharmacists’ Association joins the PDA family
- NAWP begins a new chapter as a network of the PDA
- PDA Member Networks
- Major pay boost for tens of thousands of pharmacists
- PDA Education
- History of the PDA
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.