The PDA (Pharmacists’ Defence Association) is a not-for-profit membership organisation that looks after the interests of individual pharmacists. We are staffed by experienced pharmacists and lawyers and are supported by an extensive advisory board. Over 37,000 of your colleagues have already joined us making the PDA the largest pharmacist membership body in the UK. Read below to find out why you should become a member of the PDA today.
- We defend our members when they are faced with a conflict
- We proactively lobby the individual pharmacist’s agenda
- We challenge employers, regulators and government on behalf of our members
- Our membership automatically includes Professional Indemnity and Legal Defence Costs insurance to safeguard and defend our members’ reputations*
Key Member Benefits
There are four benefits which operate alongside each other, the combination of which delivers a particularly formidable form of defence and support for pharmacists.
1. Professional Indemnity Insurance*
Underwritten by Specialist insurers, the insurance provided is designed specifically for PDA members and is fully regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. The arrangements that have been put in place not only provide the financial capacity that enables PDA members to be supported in the most expensive cases, but they also enable PDA members to automatically comply with the GPhC and PSNI requirement to operate with the protection of Professional Indemnity cover. Benefits include;
A choice of £5,000,000 or £10,000,000 limit of Professional Indemnity (PI) Insurance
£5,000,000 Public Liability (PL) Insurance
£500,000 Legal Defence Costs Insurance* To cover the payment of legal fees for the following:
- Employment Tribunals
- Professional Tribunals including GPhC and PSNI Statutory Committee
- Prosecutions
- In-Depth Taxation Investigation
- Injury and Fatal Accidents
- Contract Disputes
- Jury Service Reimbursement
- 24-hour Legal Advice Line
2. Membership of the PDA
There are many extra discretionary benefits of being a member of the PDA, which are provided over and above the protection provided by dint of the insurance cover: Such benefits represent more than 85% of the support episodes provided to PDA members.
- Employment and Professional Support
- Locum Contract Dispute Resolution
- Professional Advice
- Risk Management Development
- Active Education and Research Agenda
- Proactive Lobbying
- Practice policy development work
- Interactive Communication
3. Membership of the PDA Union
Enhances the membership benefits to include automatic rights of representation in disputes with employers and certain collective bargaining rights. This means that in serious job-threatening situations, PDA Union officials are able to accompany members to disciplinary meetings with employers
4. Supporting Pharmacists Support Charity
PDA makes a contribution of £1 for every member to the Pharmacists Support charity every year. With more than £30,000 being donated each year, this makes the PDA the biggest single regular contributor to this important charity. Pharmacists, trainee pharmacists and pharmacy students can be reassured that should they run into personal difficulties such as emotional or financial hardship that the PDA may not be able to support directly, the PDA supports an important pharmacy charity that does.
Additionally there is PDA Plus
Giving access to a range of specially-negotiated preferential services for PDA members, whether it’s a meal out with friends, your weekly grocery shop, income protection cover or renewing your car insurance, PDA Plus likely has a preferential deal that could save you money.
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 and trainee pharmacists.
Read about our key member benefits here.
*The insurance included with PDA membership is arranged and administered by The Pharmacy Insurance Agency (PIA) Ltd who are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (Register No 307063).