PDA criticises regulator over 'out of date' Jhoots information

The Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) has criticised the for failing to keep its register up to date with accurate information about Jhoots pharmacy ownership, which it said is hampering pharmacists’ ability to pursue unpaid fees.

Allied Pharmacies has taken over 129 Jhoots branches previously owned by Sarbjit Jhooty and Nilam Patel -  68 earlier this month in addition to 61 acquired before.

The takeovers followed reports of branches closing, failing to pay their employees for months, and forcing patients to travel long distances for essential medication. Many of these branches remain temporarily closed.

Separately, Manjit Jhooty operates 21 pharmacies through Jhoots Healthcare Ltd and Pasab Ltd, which remain fully solvent and functional.

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Last month he announced an immediate rebrand to JHL Pharmacy, citing 'significant and irreparable damage' to the Jhoots brand name. These branches have been updated on the GPhC register, although they continue to use the jhootspharmacy.co.uk website.

However, a PDA statement said register information relating to the ownership of other branches 'seems not to have been updated months after apparent changes of pharmacy ownership have been announced via the media'.

The union said the GPhC register still lists around 100 branches as being owned by companies that entered administration in January, despite many of those pharmacies also appearing on the Allied Pharmacies website.

'Accurate information is essential, not just for pharmacists and others pursuing unpaid fees or wages, but also for patients and the public to know who is legally responsible and the details of the superintendent,' the PDA said.

The union added it was disappointed that the regulator, NHS or government had not taken ‘proactive extra steps to keep former Jhoots branch information up to date'.

According to the PDA, outstanding locum fees remain the responsibility of the owners or administrators of the businesses that contracted the pharmacists, not the branches. If a branch enters new ownership, responsibility for paying the debt does not typically transfer.

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One locum member, who was eventually paid, told the PDA that they had been employed by one company to work in a branch owned by a second company, with  payment made by a third.

The PDA advised locum pharmacists to ensure they have a clear written contract specifying who is responsible for payment, and to decline contracts that make it difficult to cancel future shifts if fees for earlier work have not been paid on time.

The union also said employed pharmacists may be entitled to redundancy payments if previous businesses closed branches and stopped trading.

For example, where former Jhoots branches have been acquired by new owners and the existing workforce remains in place, employees’ contracts may be protected under TUPE (Transfer of Undertakings, Protection of Employment) regulations.

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Where TUPE applies, individual contracts should generally remain the same and employees should maintain their length of service, the PDA said.

Members with queries about redundancy or TUPE have been advised to contact the PDA Support Centre.