Lloydspharmacy, Asda and Sainsbury's will not reimburse employees for 2011 RPS membership

Several pharmacy groups have decided not to reimburse employees for their Royal Pharmaceutical Society membership fees in 2011, C+D has learned.

Lloydspharmacy, Sainsbury's and Asda all said they would not pay the fee for their pharmacists, and the Co-operative Pharmacy has decided to reimburse pharmacists half of the cost of the fees.

Boots said it would support its pharmacists to be RPS members, and was "discussing the mechanics of payment" currently with the Society.

Pharmacists must renew their membership with the RPS by March 2011. The fee for pharmacist members is £192, reduced to £182 if payments are made by direct debit.

Lloydspharmacy said it had reviewed its position in light of the current challenging economic conditions and tariff reductions.

"We naturally encourage our people to join the Society, but feel this decision is best made on an individual basis," a spokesperson said. The multiple said it remained committed to supporting the RPS and would continue to work with it.

Asda superintendent John Evans said he would be joining the RPS personally, but an internal employee survey had suggested Asda pharmacists did not value joining the Society. Pharmacists said they would join if their employer had paid the fees, but most would not if they had to cover the costs personally.

"The Co-operative Pharmacy has always supported the formation of the RPS and we encourage all pharmacists to join. To support employee pharmacists becoming members from March 1, we have agreed to pay half the direct debit membership fee of £182," Janice Perkins, superintendent pharmacist at The Co-operative Pharmacy, said.