Pharmacy Daily | Wage growth falling off the agenda

COMMUNITY pharmacy employees need to ensure pay rates remain a hot topic within the profession, former Pharmaceutical Society of Australia NSW Branch President, Emeritus Professor Shalom "Charlie" Benrimoj, believes.

Commenting on data from the University of Technology Sydney 2020 Pharmacy Barometer, which showed an increase in the number of pharmacists reporting they earned less than $30 an hour, from 1% in 2019 to 3% last year, Benrimoj voiced concern that the issue of pharmacists' remuneration had fallen off the agenda.

The latest Barometer reading (PD 27 Apr) revealed 30% of pharmacists had received an increase in their pay in the 12 months to Oct 2020, compared with 42% in the prior corresponding period.

"Nobody is keeping pressure on employers to keep going with wage increases," Benrimoj said.

"There is a lack of political and economic pressure on owners."

The 2020 Barometer reported that 54% of pharmacists are earning between $30 and $40 an hour, compared with 56% in 2019, while there was a slight increase in the proportion of pharmacists being paid $40 to $50 per hour (40% in 2020, compared with 39% in the year earlier).

There was no change in the numbers earning between $50 and $60 an hour (3%), while no pharmacists reported earning more than $60 per hour in 2020, down from 1% in 2019.

Professional Pharmacists Australia President, Geoff March, told Pharmacy Daily that the Barometer's reflected the union's findings that "pharmacists are undervalued, underpaid and have low morale".

"After a full decade of stagnation, pay rates for pharmacists only saw a small increase in 2019 and almost 50% of community pharmacists who've been on the frontline in the war against COVID-19 cited poor pay as a major employment concern," March said.

"The workplaces which did see decent pay increases and higher rates of pay included those where a higher proportion of employees were union members who were able to negotiate a strong enterprise bargaining agreement.

"Pharmacists working in hospitals and covered by enterprise bargaining agreements could expect a median salary up to $7,500 per year, or $8 an hour higher, than pharmacists working in community pharmacies."