The evening was hosted by PDA Reps Nav Bhogal, Darren Ayres, Jayesh Ladva, and Mithul Shah.
Drawing upon insights gleaned from the PDA’s recent survey results, the reps tackled a spectrum of topics including indemnity, strategies for managing pressure, employer-imposed targets, workload distribution, staffing levels, and the required skill mix within the pharmacy team. Attendees also discussed the importance of exercising discretion in declaring their competence with emphasis on the need to uphold professional standards without compromising patient safety.
During the meeting, pharmacists were reminded of the procedural steps that need to be followed and how the necessary stakeholders must be informed should circumstances render delivery of the service untenable. This critical insight into the chain of command and responsibilities as the Responsible Pharmacist (RP) demonstrates the commitment of PDA Reps to empower their colleagues with the knowledge and tools necessary to navigate these scenarios.
Member experiences and insights from the meeting were then used to inform ongoing consultations with Boots through the Joint Consultative Committee (JCC). A commitment was secured from Boots to establish a dedicated working group highlighting the strength of collective advocacy in effecting meaningful change at the organisational level.
Jayesh Ladva said, “The Pharmacy First engagement evening was brilliant. Almost 200 Boots pharmacists from different parts of England gave up their valuable time to meet with their PDA Workplace Reps. The reps did an excellent job at answering questions members had about the safe delivery of the service, in particular reassuring members that their indemnity insurance would continue to cover them and providing advice on how to deal with pressure and targets whilst managing the existing workload. Member concerns were then raised at the highest level in the company during the Joint Consultative Committee (JCC) meeting in Nottingham and we are pleased that this has resulted in the company agreeing to form a working group with the PDA Reps to work together to identify and address issues around the pharmacy first service.”
Those who have any concerns or feel that they are being pressured to deliver the Pharmacy First Service are encouraged to contact the PDA Member Support Centre or their local PDA Rep.
Get involved
Learn more
- Pharmacy First Service (PFS) survey
- The Responsible Pharmacist and Pharmacy First Service
- PDA welcomes the Pharmacy First service and calls for a second pharmacist in the pharmacy
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