The PDA have been raising the profile of this issue and the requirements for employers to report cases since the RIDDOR guidance was updated in April. This week the PDA formally wrote to the GPhC expressing our concerns that community pharmacy employers stood out as the only sector which had failed to report any cases.
Today (5 August) a parliamentary answer revealed that there have now been 6 instances of exposure to coronavirus in community pharmacy (all non-fatal) which have been reported to the Health & Safety Executive.
Our first thoughts are to send those six individuals our best wishes for a speedy and full recovery. Whether they are pharmacists or other members of the team, our first concern is for them as human beings.
Whilst we welcome the cases now starting to be identified in pharmacy, we reiterate our encouragement for community pharmacy employers who have not yet reported previous instances of likely exposure to coronavirus in their workplace, to do so ASAP.
Late reporting is better than never reporting these cases.