THE gradual decline in rates of pay for community pharmacists is "finally reversing," according to a new report from Professional Pharmacists Australia (PPA).
However more than four out of five community pharmacists polled indicated they would not recommend pharmacy as a career.
The 2018 Community Pharmacists Employment and Remuneration Report prepared by the union group found average growth in pharmacist wages of between 0.4% and 2.5% depending on the employee's classification.
The survey also found that community pharmacist rates of pay were consistently lower than hospital pharmacist peers, and less than half of the community pharmacists surveyed reporting receiving a pay rise in the last year.
"Community pharmacists working at discount pharmacies continue to report the lowest rates of pay, particularly those employed by Chemist Warehouse," the report noted, while those employed by discounters were also more likely to report longer working hours.
Common complaints about working in community pharmacy included pressure and stress, along with inadequate staffing and poor levels of remuneration.
The report highlighted the sector's "pervasive shift away from medicine distribution towards broader involvement in the Australian healthcare system, and simultaneous increasing exposure to retail sales".
"The shift creates a variety of risks for community pharmacists including stagnant remuneration growth, increasing demands in the workplace and broader de-professionalism," it added.
PPA President, Geoff March, said the trends towards pharmacy ownership concentration "worsen the imbalance of bargaining power between larger employers...and individual employee pharmacists," urging pharmacists to join the union.
The above article was sent to subscribers in Pharmacy Daily's issue from 26 Mar 19
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