News Shorts

BBC reports on PDA Activity

The PDA continues to raise awareness about the stress being endured by pharmacists. The PDA’s stress audit was highlighted on the BBC website in August in an article entitled “Chemists under too much strain”.

The journalist pointed out that there has been a huge increase in the number of prescriptions issued; pharmacists have also had to take on extra work to ease the pressure on GPs. The article states that the PDA is so worried about the issue of workload that it has launched a stress audit of pharmacists.

The full article can be found online at bbc.co.uk.

New Appointment At RPSGB

Since the departure of Mandie Lavin as Director of Fitness to Practise (FtP), the RPSGB has restructured with an eye on the devolvement of the function to the General Pharmaceutical Council. Wendy Harris has been appointed Deputy Registrar and Head of Regulation; and will be recruiting a director of FtP but will be in overall control.

The PDA is looking forward to working with Wendy and hopes that she will be sensitive to the impact that unnecessary and over-zealous regulation and its unacceptable tone has on pharmacists without compromising the public protection agenda.

PDA Team Grows

Paul Summerfeld a pharmacist and also a qualifed barrister has joined the PDA team. “We are responding to the growing membership need, by increasing the level of expertise in the team,” said John Murphy, PDA director “Having another pharmacist with legal experience is a powerful addition.”

PDA And C&D Join forces

The PDA Union and the Chemist & Druggist will establish an annual salary survey for community employee and locum pharmacists. The two organisations have conducted their own surveys in the past, but are now excited at the prospect of combining their expertise to get an unequivocal and consistent picture across the sector. The survey will be conducted in January.

The PDA Union will still be conducting its own survey on hospital and primary care pharmacists.

Locum Contract For Services

Rowlands and Boots has recently issued a new contract for services and the PDA has been contacted by many members seeking its view. Advice on those clauses, which the PDA believes could be detrimental to members if not clarifed or changed, has been posted on the PDA website.

“Don’t sign any contract until you understand the implications,” advised Karen Weekes, PDA’s employment solicitor. “Contracts can be negotiated; if the other party is not prepared to compromise then you need to decide whether or not you want to enter into it at all.”