DATA from the Pharmacy Board of Australia shows the number of pharmacists holding non-practising registration is approaching an all-time high, with increases across all age groups.
Figures for the Jun quarter revealed 1,338 pharmacists have opted to hold non-practising registration - 16 less than the record high in Dec 2019 - accounting for 3.8% of all registered pharmacists.
The new data reported in the latest Board newsletter, showed that close to 37% of non-practising pharmacists were under 40 years of age, with the 35 to 39 years age group reporting the sharpest increase.
A further 23.6% of non-practising registration holders are aged 40 to 49 years.
Female pharmacists who accounted for 67% of all registered pharmacists in Jun, represented 64.5% of non-practising pharmacists, a 0.2% increase compared with the Mar data.
The rise in the number of pharmacists opting to hold non-practising registration is reflected in the decline in general registration holders across all age brackets, with the exception of 40 to 44-year-olds, which saw numbers climb by six in Jun compared with the Mar data.
The above article was sent to subscribers in Pharmacy Daily's issue from 06 Oct 22
To see the full newsletter, see the embedded issue below or CLICK HERE to download Pharmacy Daily from 06 Oct 22