Physical safety is one of the seven commitments of the PDA’s Safer Pharmacies Charter. The Charter was launched in 2017, and responses to the associated survey over the subsequent years have helped the PDA to understand and to evidence the need for changes.
Since the last survey, pharmacists are increasingly facing verbal threats, physical assaults, and other issues that impact their safety in the workplace. The PDA has recently added support for when a member experiences a needlestick injury or incidents of physical abuse. However, as pharmacists, the PDA recognises prevention is better than cure, and the Charter and survey are part of campaigns to stop such occurrences from happening in the first place.
The PDA is constantly supporting members who experience challenging conditions in the workplace, which not only impacts patient safety but also pharmacists’ physical and mental health and wellbeing. The survey is conducted to help the PDA address these issues when engaging with governments, regulators, employers and others. This proactive approach is used to improve the lives of those in the profession.
About the Safer Pharmacies Charter
The Safer Pharmacies Charter encourages employers to meet seven commitments to improve safety and care for patients. The commitments cover the basic areas that should be standard practice whenever and wherever pharmacy work is being carried out.
In the Safer Pharmacies Survey, pharmacists are asked how often the seven commitments have been met in the past six months in their direct experience. With the findings, the PDA aims to persuade decision-makers to improve the working environment for pharmacists, which will, in turn, improve patient safety.
- No Self-Checking – to prevent any errors, an additional, suitably trained and confident member of staff should be available at all times to provide an independent second check
- Safe Staffing – staffing levels need to be sufficient in order to allow all legal, contractual and regulatory obligations and organisational expectations to be met
- Access to a Pharmacist – a pharmacist must be available wherever patients expect immediate access to face-to-face expert advice on any medicine-related matters
- Adequate Rest – pharmacists must be able to take at least their statutory and contractual breaks and rest periods without interruption
- Respect for Professional Judgment – pharmacists should be enabled to make professional decisions in the workplace so that patient safety and professional standards come first
- Raising Concerns – pharmacists should be able to raise concerns without reprisal or fear, and those must be properly addressed
- Physical Safety – risks should be assessed, and preventative measures put in place so that patients and staff are kept safe.
This survey is open to employed and locum pharmacists wherever they work. The survey will close on 23 February 2026.
The Safer Pharmacies Charter is part of the PDA’s long-running campaign to improve safety and care for patients and the working lives of pharmacists.
Many organisations have shown support for the Safer Pharmacies Charter such as FIP (International Pharmaceutical Federation), the BPSA, USDAW and Health Campaigns Together.
Get involved
- Pharmacists, add your voice to the campaign for safer pharmacies.
- Owners/senior management, sign up to the charter to demonstrate your commitment to safer pharmacies.
- Patient safety, pharmacy leadership, and other organisations, if you are concerned with patient safety endorse the campaign for safer pharmacies.
Learn more
- Safer Pharmacies Charter
- PDA Safer Pharmacies Charter commitment videos
- Support in the event of violence in pharmacy
- Support in the event of a needlestick injury
Not yet a PDA member?
If you have not yet joined the PDA, we encourage you to join today and ask your colleagues to do the same.
Membership is FREE to pharmacy students, trainee pharmacists and for the first three months of being newly qualified.
Read about our key member benefits here.