In a statement published yesterday (October 11), the PDA said it would “never stop responding to concerns raised by our members”.

“This is not about defending the status quo but ensuring that those best placed to develop the professional role [of a pharmacist]…are engaged in the debate,” the PDA said.

PDA chairman Mark Koziol told delegates at two emergency sessions held at the Pharmacy Show earlier this month (October 8-9), that the trade union is planning a “loud” national media campaign to encourage sector-wide debate on the controversial pharmacy supervision proposals (see video, below).

Prior to C+D's exclusive revelations last month – that detailed proposals for pharmacy technicians to be handed legal responsibility for supervising the supply of prescription-only medicines (POMs) had been drafted – the PDA had been “unaware of the extent to which these ideas were being developed”, its statement said.

“We would welcome further engagement from Ken Jarrold [chair of the Department of Health programme board], so that the whole pharmacy sector is involved in shaping the role of the profession rather than a select few,” the PDA added.

Ken Jarrold responds to C+D

Mr Jarrold wrote to C+D on Tuesday (October 10) to clarify the board’s position on pharmacy supervision.

“The PDA has not been excluded from discussions and will have their say, he claimed.

Only when wider stakeholders have been consulted will the board “firm up its proposals and make recommendations to ministers”, Mr Jarrold stressed.

The PDA and the National Pharmacy Association have jointly written to Mr Jarrold to request an urgent meeting.

Watch Mr Koziol at the Pharmacy Show describing the PDA's plans to rally the sector:

Catch up on all the tweets from the Pharmacy Show with C+D's Storify.