I’m happy to share that I’ve completed my training to become a PDA Workplace Representative. My only regret is not doing it sooner.
I’ve been a PDA member since my trainee pharmacist (formerly pre-registration) days, and knowing that expert advice and support is always there has been a huge reassurance. This is especially true in community pharmacy, where pressures continue to grow.
What stands out most to me is that pharmacists’ best interests are genuinely at the heart of everything the PDA does. Having an organisation that fights our corner 24/7 brings real peace of mind and allows me to focus on delivering the best possible care and exercising my professional judgement when needed. It’s played a big part in making me the confident pharmacist I am today.
I wanted to do my bit by completing this course because the PDA has supported me in the past, and I truly believe in the work they do and what they stand for.
If you’d like more information, including becoming a rep, please feel free to contact the PDA Member Support Centre.
My question is, how can you afford NOT to be part of the PDA?
Waqas also said, “I am a PDA member because it gives me the confidence to practise properly. I know I can use my professional judgement, make the right decisions for my patients, and still have the reassurance that expert advice and support is there if I ever need it. That safety net matters, especially in community pharmacy, where we are often working under pressure and expected to manage increasingly complex situations.
If you’re thinking about joining the PDA, my advice is simple: it’s a no-brainer. For a small annual fee, the reassurance alone is worth it, particularly at a time when funding and working conditions feel more uncertain than ever. There’s never been a more important time to have strong professional backing. That’s without even mentioning the additional benefits, including membership of the only independent trade union in the UK exclusively for pharmacists, and access to a 24-hour counselling helpline.”
By Waqas Khan, PDA Workplace Representative
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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.