The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 271 No 7258 p82
19 July 2003

This page
Reprint
Photocopy

PDF* 110K

  Unlicensed medicines
  Branding
  Patient packs
  Workforce
  Veterinary pharmacy
  Modernisation
  The Society
  CPD
  The Journal

Letters to the Editor

Workforce

Do vacancies exist through lack of interest?

From Mr S. M. Koumis, MRPharmS

Anyone sifting through the back pages of The Journal might be forgiven for thinking there is a recruitment crisis in community pharmacy. The large number of vacancies at first sight might appear to be related to a shortage of pharmacists. But surely, if that were the case, then would not most if not all these pharmacies/dispensaries close or cease to function normally without a qualified pharmacist? Since I am not aware of such problems, I can only assume that there must be at least one pharmacist present at any time for each of these vacancies.

According to the recent Pharmacy Workforce Census, carried out by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (PJ, 1 March, p314), 36 per cent of community pharmacists prefer to work as self-employed locums. This figure represents around 8,000 out of the 22,000 community pharmacists, which is well over a third. So am I right in assuming, then, that these vacancies exist, not through the lack of manpower, but through lack of interest?

Resorting to importing European pharmacists (along with their language difficulties and cultural differences) will not help matters. The Government's planned skill mix policy, the aim of which is to introduce highly skilled technicians who could perform the duties of a pharmacist without direct supervision, is also unhelpful.

If community pharmacies, and notably the large multiples, are to resolve the vacancy problem, they need to entice some of the 8,000 self-employed pharmacists into permanent employment, even if it is part-time employment. However, gimmicks such as child care facilities, company bonuses and pharmacy associations are unlikely to coax anyone into making this transition.

Self-employed pharmacists enjoy autonomy and freedom in their jobs and are unlikely to give it up for the straight-jacket restrictions imposed by most retail multiples. Companies need to look hard at their terms of employment for pharmacists and their management policies, and become less autocratic in order to attract some of the highly qualified workforce that is available.

Sotirakis Koumis
Ilford, Essex

Send your letter to The Editor

Previous Topic (Patient packs)
Next Topic (Veterinary pharmacy)