EXCLUSIVE

The pay gap between male and female pharmacists has narrowed, the C+D Salary Survey 2015 has suggested.

There was a £2,011 pay gap between the 398 male and female pharmacist branch managers who responded to the survey, conducted between September 29 and November 11 – 43 per cent lower than last year’s pay gap of £3,539.

There remained some discrepancies between the genders. Fifty-three per cent of male branch managers received a pay rise over the past year compared to 50 per cent of female branch managers. But 46 per cent of female pharmacists in this position received a bonus, compared to 41 per cent of their male counterparts.

Deborah Evans, a member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society's (RPS) English Pharmacy Board, said it was “encouraging” that the pay gap between women and men had decreased. But she stressed it was “unacceptable” for there to be any discrepancies based on gender. “Achieving parity requires a concerted focus from employers, professional leaders, managers and employees to put the issue on the table and resolve [it],” Ms Evans told C+D.

“I am also keen to see more women pharmacists in the top roles within pharmacy and health,” Ms Evans added. “This requires not just the right employment environment and professional leadership, but for women to recognise their significant strengths and to be confident in their abilities.”

RPS chief executive Helen Gordon said although there were “excellent female leaders in pharmacy”, there was a “mixed picture” in terms of diversity in leadership roles.

Ms Gordon said she would not advocate a quota system to redress the balance, though. “Guidance and a spotlight on the value that diversity brings is helpful, not quotas,” Ms Gordon argued.