Superdrug has come to an agreement with the Pharmacists’ Defence Association (PDA) union regarding a pay award for its pharmacist employees.
This is their negotiating teams’ first joint statement after a recognition agreement was signed in December 2025.
From 1 April, annual pay for foundation trainee pharmacists will be increased to £30,000 per annum.
All eligible pharmacists in the bargaining unit will receive a 3% increase to their existing basic pay, while all pay bandings for those roles will rise by the same percentage.
Starting salary for newly qualified full-time pharmacists will remain at £50,000, and salary for pharmacy managers with more than one year of post-registration experience will be increased to £55,000 minimum. Any pharmacy managers who reach one year of post-registration experience before the next pay review will have their pay increased to £55,000 per annum in the month following that anniversary.
In addition, the annual supplement paid to senior pharmacy managers will be increased from £1,500 to £1,750. Management will also provide clarity to all pharmacy managers of what their role is and definitions of what it takes to become a senior pharmacy manager.
The agreement also stated that all mandatory training and nationally commissioned services that require training should be done in paid time. If training is done outside of normal working time, pharmacists must make their manager aware to ensure they receive the correct overtime pay. They cannot use time off in lieu for training.
Amit Vassa, head of pharmacy operations at Superdrug, and Paul Day, director at PDA, said in a joint statement: “This was the first pay review since the organisation and trade union agreed the recognition agreement. Each negotiating team thanked the other side for a positive process and a shared commitment to the success of Superdrug’s pharmacy business. Both negotiation teams also thank pharmacists for their continued professional commitment and hard work looking after patients.”
