The Pharmacy Association of Newfoundland and Labrador says there has long been a discrepancy in pay between pharmacists working in the public hospital system and those working the in private sector.
PANL was responding to the Allied Health Professionals which represents pharmacists working in the public system.
The AAHP says pharmacist vacancy rates are nearing 20 per cent across the province, in part, because compensation hasn’t kept up with the private sector.
President of the Pharmacy Association of Newfoundland and Labrador, Ashley Waghmare says there’s always been some discrepancy in pay, but that gap has widened over the last five years.
“There was a renegotiation of their contract a few years back” says Waghmare, “but it really didn’t reach a point where anyone from the pharmacy side was very happy with the agreement. In addition to that….you’re seeing all these signing bonuses in community pharmacy and you’re seeing higher pay, so you’re seeing, particularly our new grads, flock to communities as a result.”
She says that is “decreasing the amount of people going in to hospitals that you would normally see, and you are also seeing people leave due to the pay gap as well.”
She says the pay gap here is also significant compared to the other Atlantic provinces as well.
She says an urgent request for a labour market adjustment has been made to government that she hopes will be implemented as a retention strategy.
