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Frequently Asked Questions

The most commonly asked questions posed by pharmacists when making enquiries about the PDA can be found below.

Why do we need a Pharmacists’ Defence Association, are there not already a number of other organisations in pharmacy performing similar roles?

There is no other organisation that is specifically focused on looking after the interests of the individual employee or locum pharmacist in all sectors of pharmacy. Additionally, there is no other organisation that delivers a range of employment representation and legal defence services for individual employee and self-employed pharmacists in all sectors of pharmacy. Whilst other pharmacy-sector organisations exist, they are either focused in whole or in part on looking after the interests of employers or they are small with little or no experience of defence work, or with little capacity to be able to mount a significant defence exercise. Individual employee and locum pharmacists, who now make up the vast majority of the profession in terms of number, deserve to have the best and most potent form of defence available in the event that they face a serious problem.

What will happen to any profits made by the PDA?

The PDA has been established as a company limited by guarantee with no beneficial shareholders and no-one entitled to any profits. The PDA will be operated as a not-for-profit organisation, with all its income spent on providing benefits to its members.

Why is insurance such an important part of what is being offered?

The Insurance that has been arranged by The Pharmacy Insurance Agency on behalf of PDA members is essential to the service provided by the PDA. It provides huge financial capacity to enable the PDA to defend your reputation which goes way beyond any membership premiums paid. The Legal Defence Costs insurance can provide up to £500,000 worth of legal representation per member per incident and the Professional Indemnity insurance can provide up to £10 million worth of protection to help defend and ultimately settle any claims for compensation per member per incident.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE PDA AND THE NPA, CPS and UCA?

The NPA, CPS and UCA are organisations that have historically been dedicated to looking after the interests of pharmacist owners and contractors – in other words, employers. The PDA is an organisation inspired by the fact that there is no organisation that solely looks after the interests of individual pharmacists.

Why should I need my own Professional Indemnity cover if I am an employee or a locum working in an NPA member’s pharmacy, or a pharmacy that has its own Professional Indemnity?

Many employee pharmacists and locums working in NPA member pharmacies are led to believe that they do not need their own insurance because they are covered by their employer’s insurer.

This is an over simplification, because if the employer’s association or insurance provider is in control of the situation in the event of a serious problem. This potentially puts the employee and locum pharmacists at a disadvantage should they wish to defend their own reputation.

The NPA clearly articulated this dilemma when it stated;

“Where a conflict arises [between the employer and employee/locum] the Association’s ‘allegiance’ must lie primarily with the member – the owner of the business.”

How do I know if I have the right Insurance cover for my role?

It is important that you get the right level of cover for the work you are undertaking. Each of the roles for pharmacists are described on the joining pages and you should select the role that is most appropriate to your activity. The different roles carry different risks and therefore attract higher or lower premiums. It is vital that if you change your role during the year then you should speak to the insurance advisors at The Pharmacy Insurance Agency on 0121 694 7000 to check that you have the cover that is most appropriate to your current role.

 

 

The Pharmacists' Defence Association is a company limited by guarantee. Registered in England; Company No 4746656.

The Pharmacists' Defence Association is an appointed representative in respect of insurance mediation activities only of
The Pharmacy Insurance Agency Limited which is registered in England and Wales under company number 2591975
and is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (Register No 307063)

The PDA Union is recognised by the Certification Officer as an independent trade union.

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