On my first day John Murphy, PDA director, asked why I hadn’t joined the PDA. I replied without a second thought that my employer’s insurance would cover me. ‘Well,’ said Mr Murphy, ‘for the next few days you shall see why it is important for pharmacists to join the PDA, and you will soon find out that the PDA is more than just an organisation that provides insurance cover.’
The PDA is a non-profit-making defence organisation and I used to think that it would only benefit locums, but was amazed by the number of ongoing cases that involve disputes between employers and employees, for issues such as unfair dismissal, discrimination and unfair contract terms. Put simply, if there is a conflict between your employer’s interest and your professional reputation, such as a fitness to practice matter, do you think your employer would go all the way to help solve the problem in the pharmacists interest?
This is exactly why individual pharmacists need an organisation like the PDA. It defends pharmacists when they
are faced with a conflict, and it proactively lobbies for the individual pharmacist’s agenda. I have seen how far the PDA will go to protect its members. Its union status means that it can represent pharmacists in internal grievance and disciplinary meetings, and it has legal rights of consultation with employers. Its legal experts and
experienced pharmacists provide advice to help pharmacists in employment, fitness to practice and professional indemnity claims.
And the PDA does far more than simply provide insurance cover. Its advice centre provides expert opinion and answers to many questions about pharmacy practice, and legal assistants also provide a free service for locum payment claims, where payments have been delayed. As a pharmacist with a law background, I was surprised to
see how vulnerable our legal position is. The world of pharmacy is changing; pharmacists are not predominantly
pharmacy owners, but employees of large chains or the NHS. By joining the PDA we can make our voices heard, not merely as a group of employees or self-employed people, but as a group of healthcare professionals with special skills.
As a result of my work experience I have decided to join the PDA. And I would urge those who are proud of being pharmacists and would like the professional role to remain a dignified one, but have not yet joined the PDA, to become a member as soon as possible.
Originally published in Insight, Summer 2011