Trainee pharmacists and some re-sitters recently sat their assessment exam; the results will be announced on 16 December 2025.
The PDA has once again reviewed its membership arrangements, adjusted internal systems, and undertook significant work with underwriters to ensure that whether a trainee or a re-sitter, there is a PDA membership category available for everyone.
Key member benefits
Here are some of the key reasons to join the PDA.
- Professional indemnity insurance* – PDA members are entitled to indemnity protection in the event that they make a mistake at work.
- Professional advice and guidance – the PDA gives members independent support, advice and guidance throughout their career.
- PDA donate £1 per member to Pharmacist Support – each year, the PDA donate £1 per member to Pharmacist Support – the profession’s charity. This amounts to more than £40,000 per year being used to further support pharmacists, students and trainees as the PDA works with the charity to develop support tools and resources.
- PDA Plus discounts – PDA members get unlimited access to many PDA Plus discounts on offer.
- Pro-actively campaigning – The PDA actively lobbies key stakeholders and relevant bodies, nationally and regionally, to protect and progress the interests of pharmacists.
- PDA Education – there are online and face-to-face opportunities for continuing professional development (CPD), including online revision programmes, training events, live webinars, debates and conferences, and the PDA’s unique union rep development programmes.
- Membership of the PDA Union – a trade union is an organisation which employees (or self-employed workers) join and can get involved in, to gain greater security at work.
Early Careers membership categories
Student and trainee membership – FREE
Supporting future pharmacists with free student and trainee membership continues to be a key objective for the PDA. Therefore, membership for pharmacy students is FREE for all years of university study
FREE trainee pharmacist membership is also given to the incoming cohort of new graduates who become trainees (commencing training in 2025 to end in 2026).
Potential pharmacist membership – FREE
There are a variety of circumstances in which individuals may find themselves no longer a student, not currently on a foundation training scheme, but still working towards becoming a pharmacist. For example:
- Signed off from the trainee scheme after the deadline to sit the assessment in June 2026.
- Unsuccessful in the November 2025 examinations.
- Eligible but have chosen not to sit the autumn assessment.
- Waiting to re-sit the exams after a previous attempt or having never sat the exam since being signed off the training scheme (including in Northern Ireland).
The PDA refers to individuals in these circumstances as ‘potential pharmacists’ to differentiate them from those currently on a formal training scheme. The ‘potential pharmacists’ membership category was created to support members with benefits that match those of trainee pharmacists.
Newly Qualified (NQ) membership – FREE
The PDA’s newly qualified membership category provides up to 3 months of membership FREE for those who join immediately after they have successfully passed their assessment examination. This helps to alleviate the financial pressure for new registrants at a time when they are paying the costs of an exam, registration, etc. Those who have passed the autumn 2025 assessment can join the PDA as NQ members and this membership will start from 1 January 2026 to 31 March 2026.
First-year Qualified (FYQ) membership – From £109 (Instalments available)
After 31 March 2026, or at the expiry of a newly qualified membership, PDA members can renew as first-year qualified member* for a reduced price starting from £109 for their first full year of membership.
If you are unsure of the right category of membership at the FYQ application stage, please contact the PDA Member Support Centre.
Membership for those that passed the assessment
Those that passed the assessment should apply for FREE newly qualified membership.
The membership will expire on 31 March 2026 at which time you will need to renew to a first-year qualified membership category*. The PDA will send you a reminder when it is time to renew your membership.
Membership for those that did not pass the assessment
If you are currently on a trainee pharmacist membership category, please apply for the potential pharmacist membership category. You will also have access to PDA Education’s support for your future assessment re-sit.
Not yet a member?
If you passed
- You should apply for the FREE newly qualified membership category which will be valid until 31 March 2026.
If you did not pass
- Join the PDA as a potential pharmacist now. Membership is FREE and includes access to PDA Education’s support for your future assessment re-sit.
*Subject to meeting the eligibility criteria.
Learn more
- PDA releases improved membership renewal process
- PDA student membership
- PDA trainee pharmacist membership
- PDA potential pharmacist membership
- PDA newly qualified membership
- PDA Education
Not yet a PDA member?
If you have not yet joined the PDA, we encourage you to join today and ask your colleagues to do the same.
Membership is FREE to pharmacy students, trainee pharmacists, and for the first three months of being newly qualified.
Read about our key member benefits here.