Membership Categories

Membership Categories (scroll down to view relevant section)

  • Owner or Manager Membership
  • Pharmacist Membership
  • Intern Pharmacist Membership
  • Allied Health Professional Membership
  • Pharmacy Technician Membership
  • Pharmacy Accuracy Checking Technician (PACT) Membership
  • Vaccinating Health Workers (Not Membership - Information Only)

Owner or Manager Membership

Owner or Manager membership provides PDA assistance, support and advice for the Owner or Manager member providing pharmacy-related services, as well as all staff employed at the pharmacy that do not hold an APC under the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003, and employed intern pharmacists (refer to Intern Pharmacist membership below for limitations). Membership does not cover cosmetic services, business-related decisions or employment matters.

Membership is linked to the pharmacy listed under the member's workplace in their PDA Dashboard. If an Owner or Manager member leaves a pharmacy, another Owner or Manager member must take their place.

Membership allows PDA to assist with responses from the listed pharmacy for various matters including patient errors, consumer complaints and regulator complaints/enquiries (e.g. HDC, Pharmacy Council, Privacy Commissioner, Coroner, Ministry of Health (pharmacy service related matters)). Refer below for Vaccinating Health Workers.

This membership also provides double the amount of public liability protection compared to other membership categories.

Owner or Manager membership requirements

  • Must be a licensee, shareholder, responsible person or manager of the pharmacy
  • Can only be an Owner or Manager member for one pharmacy
  • Must report all known incidents, complaints or other matters that occur within or relating to themselves or the pharmacy to PDA within the calendar year they become known (by way of PDA incident report), and in a timely manner

Important notes

  • Owner or Managers can be a non-pharmacist (e.g. pharmacy technician or PACT), however the above requirements must be met
  • Pharmacy-related services do not extend to business-related decisions, employment matters or beauty/cosmetic services
  • Individual PDA membership is required for each person working at the pharmacy that has an APC and is not an employed intern pharmacist (refer to Intern Pharmacist membership below for limitations)
  • Pharmacy students or technician students on placement from a training provider are not employed by the pharmacy. PDA may assist the Owner or Manager member with the pharmacy's response to any errors or complaints involving a placement student's actions, but not the student themselves

Pharmacist Membership 

Pharmacist membership provides PDA assistance, support and advice for all professional activities performed while working as a pharmacist or pharmacist prescriber within the pharmacist or pharmacist prescriber scopes of practice (as determined by the Pharmacy Council of New Zealand). Membership does not cover cosmetic services or employment matters.

Membership is linked to a person and not a workplace, so a change in employer or employment will not affect your membership with PDA.  

All pharmacists, regardless of any supervision requirements, should maintain their own PDA membership.

Pharmacist membership requirements: 

  • Must hold current APC with the Pharmacy Council of New Zealand 

Intern Pharmacist Membership

Intern Pharmacist membership provides PDA assistance, support and advice for all professional activities performed while working as an intern pharmacist within the intern pharmacist scope of practice (as determined by the Pharmacy Council of New Zealand). Membership does not cover cosmetic services or employment matters.

If an intern site has a PDA Owner or Manager member, any healthcare services provided by an employed intern pharmacist from that pharmacy are covered by PDA's insurance policies. However, any matters that arise outside the provision of healthcare services, or are undertaken for another business where the intern is a locum/contractor will not be covered by the Owner or Manager membership. Examples where PDA intern pharmacist membership could be helpful include (but are not limited to): acting as a vaccinator for another pharmacy on weekends, or receiving a complaint from the Pharmacy Council about professionalism arising external to the pharmacy.

Intern pharmacists sent on placement to work for a business other than their intern site will be covered by the intern site's PDA Owner or Manager member, for pharmacy service related activities at the other business. Intern pharmacists that choose to work at a business that is not their intern site will need PDA membership.

Membership will suit:

  • Intern pharmacists working as a locum/contractor
  • Intern pharmacists employed in a non-pharmacy setting or in a pharmacy without a PDA Owner or Manager member
  • Intern pharmacists who would like assistance for situations that arise outside provision of healthcare services while working for their intern site
  • Any intern pharmacist in addition to the above that would like to receive assistance, support and advice on an individual level

Membership is linked to a person and not a workplace, so a change in employer or employment will not affect your membership with PDA.

Intern Pharmacist membership requirements

  • Must hold current APC with the Pharmacy Council of New Zealand

Allied Health Professional Membership 

Note: As of 2024, this membership category is only open to those registered under the Nursing Council of New Zealand.  

Allied Health Professional membership provides PDA assistance, support and advice for all professional activities performed as an employee of, or contractor/locum to, a pharmacy/pharmacies, while working as a registered health professional under a responsible authority (excluding the Pharmacy Council of New Zealand). Membership does not cover cosmetic services or employment matters.

Membership is linked to a person and not a workplace. However, PDA assistance, support and advice is limited to work undertaken as an employee for, or contractor to, a pharmacy/pharmacies.

Allied Health Professional membership requirements: 

  • Must hold current APC a relevant responsible authority under the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003

Pharmacy Technician Membership 

Pharmacy Technician membership provides PDA assistance, support and advice for all professional activities performed while working as a qualified pharmacy technician. Professional activities are limited to the provision of healthcare services in accordance with relevant legislation, workplace SOPs and training, and local or national guidelines and training. Membership does not cover cosmetic services or employment matters.

If a pharmacy has a PDA Owner or Manager member, any healthcare services provided by an employed pharmacy technician from that pharmacy are covered by PDA's insurance policies. However, there are situations where a pharmacy technician is not covered by a PDA Owner or Manager member. We recommend individual PDA membership for the following people:

  • Qualified pharmacy technicians working as a locum/contractor 
  • Qualified pharmacy technicians who work in a non-pharmacy setting providing pharmacy-related services, or in a pharmacy without a PDA Owner or Manager member
  • Any pharmacy technician in addition to the above that would like to receive assistance, support and advice on an individual level 

Membership is linked to a person and not a workplace, so a change in employer or employment will not affect your membership with PDA.   

Pharmacy Technician membership requirements: 

Pharmacy Accuracy Checking Technician (PACT) Membership 

PACT membership provides PDA assistance, support and advice for all professional activities performed while working as a qualified PACT or qualified pharmacy technician. Professional activities are limited to the provision of healthcare services in accordance with relevant legislation, workplace SOPs and training, and local or national guidelines and training. Membership does not cover cosmetic services or employment matters.

If a pharmacy has a PDA Owner or Manager member, any healthcare services provided by an employed PACT from that pharmacy are covered by PDA's insurance policies. However, there are situations where a PACT is not covered by a PDA Owner or Manager member. We recommend individual PDA membership for the following people:

  • Qualified PACTs working as a locum/contractor PACT or pharmacy technician 
  • Qualified PACTs who work as a pharmacy technician providing pharmacy-related services in a non-pharmacy setting 
  • Qualified PACTs who work in a pharmacy without a PDA Owner or Manager member 
  • Any qualified PACT in addition to the above that would like to receive assistance, support and advice on an individual level 

Membership is linked to a person and not a workplace, so a change in employer or employment will not affect your membership with PDA. PACTs must follow any guidelines or restrictions set by PSNZ when changing workplaces or working as a locum/contractor.

Pharmacy Accuracy Checking Technician membership requirements: 

  • Must be a qualified PACT under the Pharmaceutical Society of New Zealand

Vaccinating Health Workers (Not Membership - Information Only) 

Provided the below requirements are met, we can confirm that a PDA Owner or Manager membership provides cover for Vaccinating Health Workers: 

  1. The vaccinator is an employee of the pharmacy (i.e. not a contractor or locum) 
  2. The employing pharmacy has a current Owner or Manager PDA member 
  3. The vaccinator has completed all required vaccination-specific training (e.g. vaccination training & assessment, resuscitation/first aid) 
  4. The vaccinator has been authorised by the appropriate agency to administer certain vaccines 
  5. The vaccinator abides by all local and national guidelines and legislation 
  6. The vaccinator is provided orientation and training by the employed pharmacy on other expected processes, standards and guidelines (e.g. privacy act, HDC Code of Rights, relevant pharmacy SOPs) 

Note: VHWs need to work under the direct clinical supervision of a Clinical Supervisor. If the Clinical Supervisor is not a PDA member, they must maintain their own indemnity as they will be responsible for the VHW and any incidents or complaints that arise while supervising the VHW.