PDA’s survey reveals that 90% of pharmacist respondents have witnessed assault towards pharmacy staff

Over ninety percent of the one thousand and two hundred respondents that participated in the Pharmacists’ Defence Association’s (PDA) survey revealed that they had witnessed aggressive or abusive incidents in the past four weeks. In addition to this, respondents also outlined that they thought aggressive or abusive incidents had surged in the past four weeks, in comparison to normal levels.

Many pharmacists had come forward with abusive stories, including a pharmacist’s manager at Sheppey Community Hospital Pharmacy, Kent, Krunal Vyas, who said that he was punched in the ear by a customer who became very angry when their wife’s prescription wasn’t ready.

Chief Executive Officer of Sutton and Wandsworth, Croydon and Merton pharmaceutical committees, Amit Patel, stated: “It is very disheartening to know that our teams are feeling misunderstood and unsupported. This teamed with a lack of PPE, no funding for the additional workload or recognition of the increased costs of staffing and medicines supply paints a grim picture. Morale is low, and we are doing all we can to provide the pastoral care needed.”

Director of the PDA, Paul Day, stated: “We’ve campaigned for 0 tolerance of abuse in pharmacies for a long time, and it has got worse during the COVID-19 pandemic. The issue has developed a higher profile because of COVID-19; the frequency and seriousness of incidents seem to be going up. But even in normal times, it is unacceptable, so we continue to call on employers to adopt a 0-tolerance approach.”