While the 15.7% uplift in money is welcome sign of commitment to a long-term funding arrangement and will offer a degree of stability for the sector, the PDA urges that this investment must do more than simply sustain business models. In the spirit of Fair Work it must also support the wellbeing, professional development, and fair treatment of employed and locum pharmacists working on the front line.
Scotland’s pharmacists continue to deliver essential community care under increasing pressure. Funding announcements must be measured not only by the figures involved but by their real-world impact on those providing patient-facing services. Frontline pharmacists must feel the benefit of increased funding through improved working conditions, adequate staffing levels, protected time for clinical development, access for all pharmacists to independent prescriber training and recognition of their professional contribution.
This announcement comes at a time when the principles of the Fair Work Convention are increasingly being referenced in public service reform and the Scottish government is committed to making Scotland a Fair Work nation in 2025. If community pharmacy is to be a truly sustainable and rewarding profession, then these principles – effective voice, opportunity, security, fulfilment, and respect – must be embedded in all contractual frameworks and workplace practices, including those in community pharmacy.
The PDA continues to call for formal tripartite discussions between the Scottish government, CPS (representing the business owners that are contracted to deliver the community pharmacy contract), and the PDA (representing the employed and locum pharmacists who deliver pharmacy services). Without the voice of frontline pharmacists at the table, reforms risk falling short of delivering for both the workforce and the public and the government will be unable to claim it leads a Free Work nation.
Maurice Hickey, Head of Policy for PDA-Scotland commented, “Any new deal needs to work for the whole community pharmacy sector, not just pharmacy owners but pharmacists too. We need investment that reaches those of us who deliver services to patients every day, so pharmacists and their teams can do their jobs safely, confidently, and with proper support.”
As the full details of the contractual arrangements emerge, the PDA as the workers voice will continue to press for transparency and fairness, ensuring that Scottish pharmacists are not only heard but are finally and meaningfully included in shaping the future of their profession.
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