The Pharmacists’ Defence Association’s (PDA) director of pharmacy has left the role for a “new professional journey” after two years with the pharmacy union.
Jay Badenhorst will be having a “short reset before my next chapter begins” and hinted at a new role in a different profession away from pharmacy after reflecting on his last 25 years in the UK.
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“On March 7, 2001, I stepped off the plane in the UK after flying from South Africa – a young pharmacist with a degree from the University of Potchefstroom and a suitcase full of hope.
“What followed was 20+ years of growth: hands-on community pharmacy management, research on early cancer detection and mood interventions in community pharmacies.”
Badenhorst won the C+D Community Pharmacist of the Year in 2015 while working at Whitworth Chemists and went on to chair Community Pharmacy Tees, become a board member and vice-chair of the National Pharmacy Association (NPA), and then joined the PDA in April 2024.
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He’s chosen a “short, intentional break” after the “relentless pace, strategic leadership, and pushing for real change in our profession”, but stressed he’s not burnt out.
He said the “deliberate pause to recharge” will mean spending time with his family, walking in the Yorkshire countryside, and letting “fresh ideas surface before my next exciting chapter begins”.
“I’m energised about what’s ahead: a new professional journey that builds on what I’ve learned and enables me to keep making an impact in strategic healthcare leadership, and beyond. The details are coming together, and the possibilities already feel exciting.
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“To every team, colleague, fellow pharmacist and pharmacy allied who’s been part of these 25 years – thank you. Your trust and passion shaped me more than you know.”
PDA chair Mark Koziol said Badenhorst “played an important role within our team since 2024” and wished him good luck for the future.
“We will be making any announcement about our further recruitment plans in due course,” Koziol added.
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It comes as the PDA and Superdrug agreed to a 3% pay increase for all eligible pharmacists last week.
In February, the pharmacy union has revealed that it has agreed an increase of up to 6% in the pay rate for Boots trainee pharmacists.
