The PDA is the largest pharmacist leadership organisation in the UK. With our unique combination of professional indemnity insurance, legal defence services, and independent trade union representation, we provide the guidance, protection, and support for members at every stage of their careers.
In this newsletter you will learn more about:
- Preparing for your placement
- The PDA’s role in negotiating higher pay for trainees
- PDA’s Education programme to support your learning and development
- Starting your leadership journey from day one!
- Common challenges faced by trainees
- Understanding indemnity arrangements
- Developing your leadership potential with the PDA Emerging Leaders Programme
- Getting involved
Preparing for your placement
Fourth years have made it clear that they need clearer guidance when preparing for placements. In response, we have developed a practical guide to support students as they step into the workplace for the first time.
Placements are an important opportunity for students to build confidence, develop professional skills, and gain insight into future roles. Approaching them with the right preparation and mindset can make a significant difference to the overall experience.
What you’ll learn
- Professional behaviour and attitude
- Teamwork and collaboration
- Confidentiality
- Work safely
- Learning and reflection
The guide also highlights the importance of teamwork in pharmacy, as it is a collaborative profession, and placements provide a valuable chance to observe how different roles contribute to patient care.
Small steps before your first day can help you settle in faster and get more from your placement.
The PDA’s role in negotiating higher pay for trainees
As you prepare to move from university into your foundation year training, pay might not be the first thing on your mind, but your financial stability is an important part of supporting you through the year ahead.
You may have seen news about increases in trainee pharmacist pay at major employers, Boots and Superdrug, to £30,000 annually. These uplifts were the result of pay negotiations between the employers and the PDA.
Through our union arm, we have rights to collective bargaining, and can represent pharmacists and trainees on issues such as:
- Pay and working conditions
- Workplace safety and workload
- Fair treatment and employment rights.
This includes annual pay negotiations and consultative meetings, spaces where PDA Reps can bring the voice of their pharmacist colleagues to senior management.
We aren’t just there when something goes wrong; we work proactively with members to improve the terms and conditions faced at work. We continue to push for improved working conditions and pay, empowering members to become Reps and lead these conversations in workplaces.
Your trainee year is a major milestone, marking the transition from student to professional. Fair pay and working conditions are an important part of supporting you to do your best, and there’s value in having a collective voice at this early stage, and as you progress through your career.
Learn more
- Major pay boost for tens of thousands of pharmacists
- Joint statement from Boots and the PDA: Foundation Trainee pay rates
- Superdrug and PDA agree 2026 pay settlement
- NHS England must properly value trainee pharmacists
PDA Education’s programme to support your learning and development
PDA Education offers a wide range of courses and workshops, exclusively for trainees.
Preparing for the registration assessment can feel overwhelming, but you don’t have to do it alone. When you become a PDA trainee member, you will get access to a FREE programme of tailored support designed to help you succeed both in your assessment and in the workplace.
All sessions are delivered by experienced professionals who understand the real challenges trainees face, and every programme can be easily booked online via our events page. If you want to feel prepared, confident, and supported, this FREE programme is an opportunity not to miss. It includes:
- Assessment Revision Programme
- The Registration Assessment – all you need to know
- Getting mentally prepared – a PDA and Pharmacist Support online workshop
- Teamwork in Pharmacy
- Employment Rights
- Making Placements Work
- Career Pathways in Pharmacy
- Building and Maintaining Relationships
One PDA member who completed the Assessment Revision Programme said, “This programme definitely helped! It was great to have a structured mini-course with tips and tricks to work through in our own time. With timed mocks to undertake from a reputable source and to be able to review them and sit them more than once.”
EXPLORE PDA EDUCATION’S PROGRAMME OF SUPPORT
Start your leadership journey from day one!
The start of your trainee year is the perfect time to begin building your leadership skills, confidence, communication skills, and your professional network. Whether you become a PDA Rep, join a PDA Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Network, attend events, or contribute your voice to important professional discussions, there are plenty of opportunities to get involved from day one. You don’t need a leadership title to make an impact, leadership starts with getting involved.
Our networks and representative roles can help you build confidence, expand your professional network and make a positive impact on the profession early in your career.
Need some inspiration on what you can do? Here, you can read the experiences from trainee pharmacists to workplace representatives and network leaders, all PDA members who have shared how getting involved has helped shape their careers.
One example is Waqas Khan, who joined the PDA as a trainee pharmacist and later became a PDA Workplace Rep. Reflecting on his experience, Waqas said, “I’m happy to share that I’ve completed my training to become a PDA Workplace Representative. My only regret is not doing it sooner.”
Common challenges faced by trainees
The foundation trainee year is a pivotal stage in the journey to becoming a registered pharmacist in the UK. It marks the transition from student to a practicing healthcare professional, characterised by rigorous training and significant professional growth.
Trainee pharmacists are at one of the most vulnerable times of their careers, as qualifying as a pharmacist often relies on maintaining a placement, and the quality of support and conduct of their supervisor and employer. For many, it may be their first experience of employment, adding another layer of challenge and adjustment.
As a membership organisation, we can only provide detailed support to individuals who have signed up as members. PDA membership for trainees is FREE, however individuals must nevertheless join in advance of an issue rising in order to access that support.
As well as supporting members when challenges arise, we can help members prepare, understand what to expect, navigate common pitfalls, and recognise when something isn’t right in their workplace. Our online event, ‘How to thrive in your trainee year’, and online course, ‘Getting the best from your relationship with your supervisor’, demonstrate different ways we support trainees. We invite all trainees to join in on these sessions and encourages anyone who knows a trainee to also recommend that they do so.
We are highlighting examples of the issues recently faced by trainees with our assistance.
Understanding indemnity arrangements
Confused about the different indemnity arrangements for pharmacists? You’re not alone! Here, we break down the key differences in indemnity options available for pharmacists and explain why having your own indemnity policy is essential.
Indemnity insurance isn’t just a tick box exercise; it’s a vital layer of protection for pharmacists delivering frontline care.
Whether you’re working in community, hospital, or primary care, understanding your cover is key to protecting your interests, safeguarding your reputation, and giving you peace of mind. From knowing the difference between comprehensive and contingent cover, to checking what’s included and understanding the value of union support, it’s important that you choose cover that protects YOU, not your employer.
Let’s make sure that every pharmacist knows what good cover looks like.
Watch this short video to learn more. We encourage you to share this with colleagues who might need to see this!
Develop your leadership potential with the PDA Emerging Leaders Programme
As you prepare to begin your trainee pharmacist year, you’ll be focused on building your clinical knowledge and professional confidence. But it’s also a great time to start developing your leadership skills. The PDA’s Emerging Leaders Programme is designed specifically to help you explore and strengthen your leadership potential.
Running over four months, the programme combines self-directed online learning with live evening micro-teaching sessions. Here you will develop your understanding of leadership, build confidence in communication and decision-making, and gain practical tools that can be applied in day-to-day practice. Each module requires around two to three hours of study, making it manageable alongside work and training commitments.
Previous participants have praised the programme for its engaging format and positive impact on their confidence, communication skills and professional development.
One PDA member said, “An inspiring and well-structured programme that has significantly strengthened my confidence in leadership and communication. The sessions were engaging, practical, and directly relevant to my development as a future healthcare professional.”
Places are limited, and registration closes Friday 31 July! Participants are expected to commit to the full programme and attend at least 80% of the live sessions. The programme is free for PDA members. PDA membership is free for pharmacy students, trainee pharmacists and for the first three months after qualifying.
Whether you aspire to lead teams, influence change, or simply build the confidence to thrive in your trainee year, this programme offers an excellent opportunity to invest in your future career.
Get involved
As you start your trainee year, you can get involved with the PDA and make the most of your FREE PDA membership by:
- Becoming a PDA Rep
- Joining a PDA EDI Network
- Attending a PDA event or training programme
- Accessing PDA Education
- Accessing workplace resources
- Plus so much more!
If you know any Overseas Pharmacists Assessment Programme (OSPAP) students who are not already PDA members, please do encourage them to join the PDA for FREE today.