The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 268 No 7193 p487-492
13 April 2002

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Recruitment squeeze helps employees

The impact of the fallow year and continuing demand for pharmacists made last year particularly difficult for recruitment, according to the Institute of Pharmacy Management International's 12th annual survey. However, employee pharmacists have benefited through salary increases and the reappearance of incentive schemes.

The IPMI, in association with Green Pharmacy Consultants and Reid Consultants, received completed questionnaires from pharmacy multiple groups covering 3,900 pharmacies and around 7,000 pharmacists. All groups had an average vacancy list for pharmacists and qualified technicians of between 10 and 20 per cent of their workforce. All respondents noted that 2001 had been particularly difficult for recruitment and the time taken to recruit pharmacists had increased to more than 10, and in some cases, 15 weeks.

Rural areas of east Yorkshire, East Anglia, east Kent and parts of the south coast, Devon and Cornwall, mid-Wales, parts of south Wales and the Scottish border counties were all said to be difficult areas in which to recruit both pharmacy managers and locums. The cities of Liverpool, Hull and Oxford were also mentioned as areas with recruitment problems.

According to the survey, employee pharmacists have benefited from the recruitment problems by seeing real average increases in their incomes of at least 10 per cent over the past five years, a time when price inflation (excluding housing) has remained stable.

This year, several multiple groups reported that they had reintroduced incentive schemes dropped two or three years ago. These schemes offered additional income in the range of 2–5 per cent of salary for management of increased sales growth, stock stability or reduced wastage in out-of-date products. Supermarket chains are also offering staff discount across a wide range of products together with pension schemes and company share purchase opportunities. Employees are also being offered increased holidays, with 25 days a year now being the norm and up to three days extra leave for continuing professional development activities. All but one company reported keeping records of managers' CPD.

Most smaller multiple groups no longer retain their own relief managers and now rely on locums and locum agencies to maintain cover. Respondents noted an increasing number of overseas pharmacists working as locums, including pharmacists from Commonwealth countries, European countries and former Eastern bloc countries. The standard hourly locum rate was in the range £16 to £18, up from £16 to £17 last year. At least a 10 per cent premium was being paid for Saturday work. Responses from locum agencies were consistent with those given by pharmacy employers.

Wages for pharmacy staff and dispensing technicians have also risen as a result of an increase in the national minimum wage in October 2001 and continuing competition for staff among high street retailers. The report notes that experienced dispensing technicians in hospitals are still being paid at least 50 per cent more than in community pharmacy and that they are being offered supervisory roles attracting additional payments.

Further details can be obtained from Gerry Green on 01342 715312.