Call to remove SOL listing
December 13, 2011
PHARMACISTS should be
removed from the migration Skilled
Occupations List (SOL) according to
the National Council of the
Pharmacy Guild of Australia.
“We have to focus on ensuring
appropriate job opportunities for
our burgeoning workforce,” said
Guild President, Kos Sclavos.
According to the Guild, the
number of pharmacy schools has
more than doubled in the past
decade from six to 18, and with
current figures showing around
1,600 students graduate from
these schools each year there is
increasing strain on community
pharmacies to find intern
placements for all graduates.
To support Guild’s call, last week
it lodged a submission to Skills
Australia which seeks to have
pharmacists removed from the SOL
for 2012.
“In terms of employment, it is
acknowledged that there is
unevenness in the supply of
pharmacists across urban, rural and
regional areas of Australia,” the
Guild said.
In its submission the Guild
pointed to disparities between the
remuneration rate differentials for
metropolitan versus regional
pharmacists giving the following
statistics: NSW – 8.5% (i.e.
pharmacists working in regional
NSW earn 8.5% more than their
metropolitan counterparts);
Victoria 9.4% and Queensland 6.6%.
“As a result, greater financial
pressures are felt by regional
pharmacies, with such pressures
being cited as one of the most
common barrier to providing rural
or regional placements for
pharmacy interns,” the Guild said.
Rather than dealing with the
issue by listing pharmacy on the
SOL, the Guild urged that it should
be addressed through rural
pharmacy programs such as those
contained in the 5CPA, and
through appropriate domestic
pharmacy workforce planning.
“While it is true that there are
more pharmacists per head of
population in the major cities than
in remote Australia, when
appropriate positions with
appropriate conditions are offered
in rural and remote pharmacies, in
my recent experience there is no
difficulty in attracting suitable
candidates,” said Guild NT Branch
President, Terry Battalis.
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