• PDA to convene meeting on apprenticeship proposal
• PDA work positively with the GPhC to improve patient safety
• Government respond to anti-remote supervision petition to Keep Pharmacists Present for Patients
• PDA Union release latest issue of Boots News
• Paralegal vacancy 
• PDA respond to the consultation on initial education and training standards for pharmacists
• Latest news
• Help shape Pharmacist Support – the profession’s independent charity
• MORPh Training Events: May 2019

PDA to convene meeting on
apprenticeship proposal

The PDA and Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education have agreed to hold a meeting to which other key pharmacy organisations will be invited to discuss the pharmacist apprenticeship proposal.

After the PDA highlighted a consultation on a pharmacist apprenticeship proposal last week, more than 6,000 pharmacists responded to the organisation’s call to action and this topic has been debated widely across the profession.

PDA work positively with the GPhC to improve patient safety

Last year, the GPhC (General Pharmaceutical Council) issued a public consultation on proposals to make sure patients and the public obtain medicines and other pharmacy services safely online. The consultation ran from 26 June to 21 August 2018 (read more).

The GPhC has now issued new guidance for pharmacy owners providing pharmacy services at a distance, including on the internet. The PDA was broadly supportive of the principles within the guidance and we are pleased to see that the GPhC has adopted some of our recommendations.

Government respond to anti-remote supervision petition to Keep Pharmacists Present for Patients

Last month the Government responded to the public petition against proposals which could see pharmacies operating without the presence of a Responsible Pharmacist, after the petition received over 10,000 signatures (compared to just 632 responses to the government’s consultation on the matter).

The PDA have supported this campaign from the very beginning and have long campaigned against pharmacies being run without a Responsible Pharmacist. Thank you to Mariam Ahmed who lodged the petition, and to all those who have supported it.

15/04/19 – PDA respond to the BEIS consultation on extending redundancy protection for women and new parents

12/04/19 – PDA asks pharmacists to reject surprise pharmacist apprenticeship proposals

03/04/19 – Wallgreens Boots Alliance have “most difficult quarter” of trading

03/04/19 – Everyone who works should be in a trade union and there is a trade union suitable for each of us

Help shape Pharmacist Support – the profession’s independent charity

They are keen to secure a good level of input from across the profession and urge you all to share your thoughts. The survey should only take 10 mins of your time.

To get involved, visit www.pharmacistsupport.org (where details of the research will be announced shortly), check their social media pages, sign up to the charity’s e-news or email: marketing@pharmacistsupport.org.

MORPh Training Events: May 2019

Next month, MORPh are running training events in Surrey and Edinburgh. These events are FREE and prioritised for Primary Care and GP Pharmacists.