PDA cancels national conference in coronavirus response

The PDA today announced that it will be cancelling four events including its national conference on account of the ongoing coronavirus situation.

The national conference was scheduled to held in Birmingham on 28-29 March.

Other events cancelled include the pre-registration trainee ‘Finishing First’ courses due in Birmingham on 28-29 March, Manchester on 19 April and London on 26 April.

“When the time comes, we want as many pharmacists as possible to be available to focus on the national efforts to manage the crisis,” PDA chairman Mark Koziol said.

“We fully expect that in these extra-ordinary times, many will need to be involved in extra-ordinary measures and even unusual front-line activities.”

The association added that it wanted to support the reduction of non-essential travel and large-scale public gatherings to manage the spread of the virus.

As of 9am today, 32,771 people have been tested in the UK for the virus, of which 798 were confirmed as positive. The death toll stands at 10.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson yesterday moved Britain‘s response to the outbreak to the so-called “delay phase”, aimed at putting off the peak until the summer months, ending a phase of outright containment.

The PDA said it will disseminate various initiatives that were to be launched at the national conference to members in other ways.

Regarding the Finishing First sessions, the PDA said it is already looking into alternative ways in which the exam preparation can be supported.