EXCLUSIVE

Three quarters of employee pharmacists find it difficult to fit services around their dispensing workload, preliminary results from this year’s C+D Salary Survey have revealed.

Forty-five per cent of 815 respondents to the survey, which launched on October 16, said it is "not that easy" for them to find time to deliver services, with a further 30% saying this is "not at all easy". Only 15% said it is "easy".

Respondents also raised more general concerns about their workload, with 55% branding it "often" or "mostly unrealistic".

"Ridiculous paperwork"

Employee pharmacists highlighted "ridiculous paperwork", as well as increasing prescriptions and product sales "without an increase in staff hours", as factors contributing to their unachievable workload.

"How can a pharmacist manage to supervise dispensing and all the other extra services, and at the same time carry out CPD and staff training? There is no continuity due to fast turnover of staff," one pharmacist responded in the survey.

Contractor and Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) English pharmacy board member Sid Dajani told C+D he "totally concurs" with the findings.

"I would lay the blame at unrealistic superintendents, non-pharmacist store managers and the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) negotiating unrealistic targets,” he added.

Pharmacists have until next Monday (December 7) to complete the C+D Salary Survey 2015.
 

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