PDA seeks members' view before responding to CPhO view of pharmacy leadership

The Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) has urged its member – employed pharmacists and locum pharmacists to share their view on UK Commission on Pharmacy Professional Leadership report.

The four government Chief Pharmacists have published their commission’s proposal for how pharmacy leadership may develop in the UK.

The association ‘strongly’ believes that just as it was the members of the profession that established their previous pharmacist professional leadership bodies, so it is for pharmacists to determine if they agree with these proposals and to decide what arrangements they want in future.

“As an organisation that has exclusively in its membership the employed and locum pharmacists in the UK, the PDA wants to ensure that it can reflect the views of frontline pharmacists in any future discussions and decisions that could impact upon their careers.

Pharmacists are encouraged to read the report, to consider its content and then ensure they respond to the forthcoming communication from the PDA.”

The commission report says that existing leadership bodies have “relatively low levels of membership” but does not provide details. It has also stated that it has received submissions to its consultation from many pharmacy organisations.

PDA said: “The commission has been funded by public money and this brings with it significant additional need for transparency and accountability.

If its proposals are to secure the confidence of the wider pharmacist profession, then it should publish the details of the membership numbers of the bodies that it is now recommending form the leadership council. It should also publish the submissions that it has received as contributions to its commission from pharmacy bodies.”