The Pharmacists’ Defence Association (PDA) is launching a new benefit to support pharmacists affected by needlestick injuries (NSIs), it announced last week.
The organisation said that from January 1 2026, members complying with “certain operational conditions” will receive financial support to enable them to attend “specialist testing centres” following an NSI.
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It added that the PDA will also provide a “cash benefit of up to £15,000” if the injury results in a diagnosis of HIV or hepatitis, a loss of a limb or death.
“This additional benefit is being added as a standard automatic benefit of PDA membership at no additional cost to members,” it said.
Troubling
The PDA said that while NSIs are “rightly seen…as a medical emergency” by the NHS, the experiences of PDA members “reveal a troubling reality”.
“If they are delivering an NHS service but are not directly employed by the NHS, for example they are a locum or community pharmacy employee, they may find themselves without clear access to testing and occupational health support,” it added.
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The organisation stressed that “in these hard-pressed times, some employers may not be inclined to fund several days off for their pharmacist to attend a series of tests” - and that for locums, taking time off to access testing and treatment “will result in a significant reduction in income”.
“Delayed access to post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) can mean the difference between prevention and lifelong infection,” it said, adding that the “psychological toll of uncertainty and anxiety can be very damaging”.
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PDA chair Mark Koziol said it is “unacceptable” that some pharmacists “get little in the way of sympathy or practical support” after an NSI.
“Where needlestick injuries do occur, this new benefit from the PDA will at least enable them to take the necessary time off to undergo the tests and treatments needed,” he added.
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It comes after the PDA last month announced the launch of a “powerful” new benefit to support pharmacists “in the aftermath of a violent attack”.
It said at the time that the new benefit, which extends to both employed and self-employed PDA members, will “provide up to ten days of financial support” and “replace lost income” so pharmacists can “take more time off work for recovery”.
