Incentives needed to attract pharmacists to rural areas

Simone Roberts

Of these pharmacists the majority would prefer to work in a multiple- pharmacy regional town while a third would work in a single pharmacy town in a rural location, the survey, by APESMA, reveals.

The research also shows that city pharmacists expect a much higher rate of pay than their rural colleagues if they were to relocate to the country. Respondents indicated the median base hourly rate they would accept to work in the country ranged between $50 and $54.

There was some variation between the states, with Victoria respondents at the lower end and New South Wales and Queensland respondents at the upper end of the range.

The current average base hourly rate for pharmacists practising in a rural setting is $36.50.

Ted Smith, executive officer of the Pharmacists Division of APESMA, said to try to attract pharmacists to rural areas, pharmacists should enlist the local tourist authority for assistance, to enhance the accommodation and remuneration packages being offered to highlight the benefits of working in particular areas.

"While all pharmacists have their profession in common, different things attract us to particular pharmacies in certain locations.

"The profession needs to formally research what attracts pharmacists to work in rural areas, and then individual pharmacists can decide if they match these attributes," he said.

Mr Smith said such incentives could be arranged using funding from the Fourth Community Pharmacy Agreement.