In the first of this year’s Salary Survey reports, we look at what you think about your trade associations.
Pharmacy is blessed with several. Every element of the industry is catered for, large and small.
Without singling any individual body out, when asked about representation by trade associations, respondents to C+D’s Salary Survey delivered a mixed response.
Some 47% of respondents were unsatisfied. Just 5% said they were very satisfied, with the remaining 48% hovering somewhere in between.
More generally, readers were also asked whether trade associations were delivering value for money. Just 17% agreed they were.
Acute
Funding has been the most acute issue over the last 12 months and though negotiations have begun, the issue remains unresolved.
Read more: Streeting and Kinnock say it will be a ‘New Year’ start for pharmacy contract negotiations
One in ten respondents thought a “good” job was being done in terms of effective communication with the government.
Another 22% thought an “average” job was being done.
But an overwhelming 68% responded with “poor” or “very poor”.
With negotiations now officially underway, a later survey may have produced a kinder outcome.
But frustration continues to mount as months slip by.
Read more: IN FULL: NPA sets out five contract demands - or collective action
Epic delay
Last week Community Pharmacy England (CPE) revealed an April to July timetable to conclude, communicate and implement any new funding deal, though it also said implementation work may go on for “many months”.
Read more: CPE sets out funding timetable
Negotiations for the 2024/25 contract were originally set to conclude 11 months ago in March.
When asked who was to blame for the epic delay to the funding deal, almost half of respondents - 49% - said the failure to strike any sort of funding arrangements was the fault of both CPE and the government.
Another 20% laid the blame squarely with the government.
Just 3% pinned the blame solely on CPE.
Read more: IN FULL: Long delayed funding contract negotiations finally open
Over the next two weeks, C+D will publish more analysis of the results of the Salary Survey for 2024, which asked you about some of the challenges and opportunities you face.
As well as salaries, and a dive into the demands placed on roles from a pharmacy technician to a contractor, other topics will include online regulation, counterfeit medicine, whether this government understands pharmacy better than the last one, AI, your career development, and your workload.
The C+D Salary Survey ran from October 16 2024 to Dec 31 2024 with 837 pharmacists and pharmacy staff taking part.
