In this issue:

PDA calls for community pharmacists to be utilised in a safe manner in the vaccination roll-out
Stand for election to your Regional Committee: Nominations now open
Find out what it is like to be a PDA Regional Committee Member
PDA launches new Revision Assessment Programme
PDA supports petition to save the Union Learning Fund
PDA welcomes supermarkets’ policy to enforce wearing of face masks
PDA Christmas Competition winner announced
Latest News
Kick start 2021 with deals from PDA Plus

PDA calls for community pharmacists to be utilised in a safe manner in the vaccination roll-out

Throughout the last year, community pharmacy has faced increasing volumes as patient visits have migrated from GP practices and hospitals to the local pharmacy. Pharmacists are already working to capacity, so as politicians and the public rightly join the call for the whole sector to be fully utilised in the vaccination programme, the PDA is emphasising that this can only be achieved by not overwhelming already hard-working professionals.

The experience of delivering millions of flu vaccinations positions the sector well for a role in the Covid vaccination roll-out, however, the two activities are not identical. A responsible pharmacist already has a full job in operating a pharmacy and providing patient care and advice, therefore if another set of responsibilities to manage and administer Covid vaccinations is added to the pharmacy, this needs to be done by engaging an additional pharmacist.

Stand for election to your Regional Committee: Nominations now open

The PDA Union is calling for nominations for skilled, experienced and enthusiastic members to join the Regional Committee.

Do you want to have your voice heard, help improve the working lives of pharmacists and make a difference to the pharmacy sector? Now is the time to put yourself forward to stand for election to your PDA Union Regional Committee. Look out for the election nomination email from UK Engage, who is managing the election process.

Find out what it is like to be a PDA Regional Committee Member

With the Regional Committee Elections now open for nominations, Muhammad Siddiqur Rahman and Nav Bhogal, PDA Regional Committee Members in the South East region, have co-written our latest Member Voice article to share their experience of being part of the committee.

The Regional Committee is made up of representatives from different areas of pharmacy practice across the UK (community, hospital, locums, and primary care/specialist) to ensure all sectors are represented. The committees are an important part of how PDA members can interact with the union.

PDA launches new Revision Assessment Programme

The PDA invites members who are eligible to sit the GPHC assessment, which takes place on 17 and 18 March 2021 to sign up to a new 6-week programme of support.The programme will include :

Practice revision questions and case studies
Two one hour timed mock exams
Tips for revising successfully
Discussion forum to share your questions, thoughts and concerns

Registration is now open and the programme will be released on 25 January.

PDA supports petition to save the Union Learning Fund

In October there was an announcement from the Westminster government about the closure of the ULF Fund. The government announced that they intend to end their £12 million funding of the Union Learning Fund in England on 31 March 2021.

The Union Learning Fund was established in 1988. The primary aim was to develop the capacity of trade unions and their Union Learning Representatives (ULRs) to work with employers, employees and learning providers to encourage learning in the workplace. The fund currently supports 250,000 workers a year to access learning.

PDA welcomes supermarkets’ policy to enforce wearing of face masks

PDA members working in supermarket pharmacies are welcoming news that the wearing of face masks will be compulsory for customers who do not have a medical exemption. The PDA encourages all pharmacy contractors to increase patient and customer awareness of the requirement without placing employees at unnecessary risk.

PDA Christmas Competition
winner announced

Thank you to everyone that took part in last month’s PDA Christmas Social Media Competition. We were pleased to announce Provisionally-registered Pharmacist Nick as our winner. Luckily Nick received his luxury hamper in time for Christmas.

Congratulations again Nick!

Below is a summary of some of the other key news stories that have been published on the PDA website recently:

14/01/21 – PDA urges employers to be flexible and support the next generation of pharmacists

12/01/21 – PDA urgently calls for zero-tolerance of violence in community pharmacy

11/01/21 – Anaphylaxis Campaign provides resources on allergies and the Covid vaccination

08/01/21 – PDA guidance on informed consent during the COVID-19 vaccination programme

07/01/21 – Don’t miss the deadline for registering for reasonable adjustments for the March 2021 assessment

06/01/21 – GPhC updates FAQs following health & safety concerns raised by the PDA

05/01/21 – A final opportunity for UK pharmacists to contribute to Europe-wide research on how COVID-19 has affected pharmacy practice

04/01/21 – PDA celebrates reaching over 1,500 members across four equality networks in the first year

Kick start 2021 with deals from PDA Plus

Dell UK has proudly partnered with PDA Plus to provide a range of discounts on selected IT and other benefits to PDA members*. Offers include:

10-20% discount off laptops, desktops and accessories
Access to their highly trained Small Business Technology Advisors to help members with free advice to grow their business
Dedicated account manager to work with you.

So what are you waiting for? Log in to your PDA Plus account today and start saving money.