Influence

Defending the reputation and supporting the interests of individual pharmacists involves much more than providing defence in the event that something goes wrong.

It is a fact that today, fewer than 10% of pharmacists own a pharmacy and yet, arguably, the profession is controlled by owners of pharmacies, and in particular, by the organisations that represent them. The result is that the vast majority of the profession is vulnerable as it has little influence over much of the pharmacy environment.

In this last decade, the number of pharmacists who own a pharmacy has fallen dramatically. The result is that many pharmacists now feel that they have little influence over the direction of their profession and over the environment in which they work.

The consequences

There are a large number of practical consequences of this kind of arrangement, far too many to describe.

Some examples:

• Pharmacists are working longer hours and have to endure reduced staffing levels.

• This may be dangerous and therefore should be unacceptable, but far from the issue being examined and researched by the profession, it is becoming the norm.

• Why has nobody commissioned any research on safe staffing levels and acceptable working hours?

• Some employers are agreeing to provide an ever wider range of services e.g. more residential homes, but the pharmacist employees are not given more staff to cope in all such situations.

• Why has nobody addressed this problem?

• Why is the NHS contract solely with the employer, when the service is actually provided by the pharmacist?

• There are shortages of pharmacists in the UK, with some pharmacies occasionally left with no pharmacy cover, and yet some employers feel that they can impose a cut in rates of pay for pharmacists.

• In the event of a serious error, which may have been caused by an inadequate pharmacy environment, in many instances it is the pharmacist who has ended up taking responsibility via a prosecution or disciplinary procedure.

How can PDA help?

In the interests of patient safety, it is important that some of these issues are addressed. PDA will aim to address this agenda in a number of ways:

• Prioritising the concerns

• Commissioning research

• Organising meetings of pharmacists to discuss the issues

• Arranging Focus Group meetings to refine policies

• Providing PDA members with a Vote On Facility

• Providing PDA members with a Have Your Say Facility

• Developing policy

• Lobbying the relevant bodies both within and outside pharmacy to influence the professional, ethical and employment agenda.

Additionally, members will be kept informed of any news and developments relevant to the agenda with a section on the website devoted to Latest News, Press Releases and Position Statements.