The pay gap between male and female pharmacists has more than doubled, results from the C+D Salary Survey 2016 suggest.

Male branch managers who worked between 35 and 40 hours a week earned £4,418 more than female branch managers who worked the same hours, according to results from 125 managers who responded to the survey, which ran between October 16 and December 21, 2015.

This is more than double the £2,011 gender pay difference calculated for pharmacists working any hours in the 2015 Salary Survey.

The latest survey also highlighted a £2,732 pay gap between male and female second or non-manager pharmacists, according to the 78 respondents to the question.

Complex reasons

Deborah Evans, a member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society's (RPS) English Pharmacy Board, said she was disappointed to see the pay gap between men and women within pharmacy.

She told C+D that she was “very concerned” that the Salary Survey had uncovered "such a significant difference".

Ms Evans stressed that although the reasons behind the gender pay gap were likely to be complex, she said it is important to understand why it might exist in a female-dominated profession, where women account for more than half of the workforce.

“Pay gaps can arise from direct discrimination, [from] women’s contribution not being valued as much as men’s, and women perhaps being more likely to compromise on benefits to achieve a work-home balance,” Ms Evans said.

“It may also be that women are less likely to assert themselves to achieve a higher salary,” she added.

“Whatever the cause, women need support to close this gap. There must be equality in pay and other benefits.”

The Salary Survey results also found other differences between the genders. Some 49% of female branch managers were given a payrise in the last 12 months, in comparison to 43% of males. 

How could pharmacy achieve greater gender equality?

We want to hear your views, but please express them in the spirit of a constructive, professional debate. For more information about what this means, please click here to see our community principles and information