The PIA - The Pharmacy Insurance Agency

Protecting your Interests

This section describes the new exposure to the risks of professional liability for pharmacy technicians.

It concludes that, like other healthcare professionals who have been protecting their individual interests for many years, pharmacy technicians should now seriously consider carrying their own personal professional indemnity and legal defence costs insurance; one that is entirely independent of their employer and of their employer's representative association.

The Pharmacy Insurance Agency (PIA) has been arranging insurance protection for the pharmacy profession since 1990, currently arranging insurance for more than 20,000 individuals, to include many pharmacy technicians working across all sectors of the profession. The PIA understands pharmacy risk management and how this differs in the community, hospital, primary care, prison or other setting.

Most importantly of all, the PIA is not in any way linked to an employer's insurance scheme, nor an employer's representative organisation like the NPA. It is able to concentrate on primarily protecting the interests of an employee at all times, even if it means that the approach it takes to secure the best defence for the employee impacts unfavourably upon the employer. We believe that this factor is a very important one to consider, when considering where best to source a professional indemnity insurance scheme.

The cover provided by the specialist pharmacy technician scheme established by the


PIA provides the following benefits:

Professional Indemnity Insurance with a limit of £5,000,000

This provides legal defence costs, claimant's expenses and compensation settlements as a result of any claim made against a pharmacy technician resulting from:

Error or Omission

Where this has resulted in bodily injury, mental injury, illness, disease or death.

Good Samaritan Acts

Mistakes made whilst offering First Aid assistance at a motor accident or performing resuscitation on a member of the public

Libel and or Slander

As a result of words written or spoken. Breach of Confidentiality For breaching the confidentiality of a patient.

Public Liability

As a result of physical injury caused to any person or damage to property.

Legal defence costs insurance with a limit of £500,000

This provides legal defence costs in the event of the following:

Employment Protection

To assist in an employment tribunal, e.g., to claim compensation from an ex- employer for unfair dismissal.

Professional Tribunal

Representation Providing legal representation at any inquest convened to inquire into the conduct of a pharmacy technician, e.g., coroner's inquest, fatal accident inquiry, NHS tribunal or a GPhC disciplinary process, etc.

Criminal Prosecution Defence

Defence of any criminal prosecution arising from pharmacy technician responsibilities, e.g., criminal negligence, manslaughter or Medicines Act offences.

Civil Prosecution Defence

Defence of any civil proceedings brought under legislation for unlawful discrimination on the grounds of sex, race, disability, age, religious belief or political opinion; defence of the serving of a Statutory Notice under Health and Safety at Work legislation or Section 13 of the Data Protection Act in connection with the activities as a pharmacy technician.


Additional Benefits

Personal Injury

Should a pharmacy technician sustain serious injury, whether at work or not, it may be possible to pursue damages on their behalf against the persons responsible.

Contract Disputes

Pursuit of a dispute over a contract for the purchase of products or services or for the hire of goods, providing the amount in dispute is over £250 in value.

Jury Service

Providing up to £1,000 of funding to an employed pharmacy technician if they are called to serve on a jury and it is not recoverable from the court or their employer.

Taxation Disputes Protection and General Tax Advice

Providing legal costs and expenses, accountant's fees etc. in the defence of an Inland Revenue Full or Aspect Enquiry into the personal tax affairs of a pharmacy technician arising out of salaried employment.

24-Hour Legal and Taxation Advice

Lawyers and tax experts are standing by to give advice on any personal legal or taxation problem. A personal 24-hour legal/ taxation advice card is supplied.

We believe that the package put together by the PIA for pharmacy technicians represents the most comprehensive and costeffective insurance offering available.

The Pharmacy Insurance Agency Limited is registered in England and Wales under company number 2591975
It is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (Register No 307063)