Census finds high job satisfaction
An analysis of the response to the Royal Pharmaceutical Society's third pharmacy workforce census shows, among other things, that practising pharmacists have high levels of overall satisfaction with their main job — higher than has been found in a survey of GPs. Pharmacists derive the most satisfaction from working alongside their colleagues, from the amount of responsibility they are given and from their contact with patients.
The Society commissioned the third census in August 2005 to inform future
workforce planning and policy development in the pharmacy profession
by following up the censuses carried out in 2002 and 2003. The findings
of the third census, with an analysis of emerging trends between 2002
and 2005, are contained in a 48-page document, which is to be launched
at the 2006 British Pharmaceutical Conference, to be held in Manchester
from Monday 4 to Wednesday 6 September. The census report has been prepared
by researchers from the school of pharmacy at the University of Manchester.
Some of the other main findings of the survey, which achieved a response
rate of 76.6 per cent, are as follows:
· More than 65 per cent of new entrants to the Register in 2005 are
women
· The proportion of pharmacists who are actively employed in a pharmacy-related
occupation has increased slightly, while the proportion working outside
pharmacy has also increased
· A greater proportion of pharmacists who are currently not in active
employment are considering returning to practice than in the 2003 census
· Community pharmacy still employs of the largest proportion of pharmacists
(70.1 per cent), although the proportion working in this sector has fallen
by 2 per cent since 2003. Most (54.2 per cent) work for multiple pharmacies
· Mobility across sectors of practice appears low overall. Mobility has
fallen in the primary care sector since 2003, suggesting a growing stability
in this sector
The Society says that completion of the third census means that it now
has one of the most comprehensive workforce data sets in health care.
The full report is available to download
in PDF format from the Society’s website (PDF 870K).
Further information about the census
can be obtained from the Society’s registration division (tel 020
7572 2322;
e-mail registration@rpsgb.org
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