PANL Calling for Greater Recruitment and Retention Efforts

The Pharmacists’ Association of Newfoundland and Labrador is raising concern about the number of vacancies across the province in both community and hospital pharmacies and is calling on the government to act.

There is a shortage of approximately 100 pharmacists.

The association wants the government to increase the pharmacy school class size, similar to increases in the nursing and medicine programs, the addition of navigation and educational resources to support the transition of internationally-trained pharmacists to licensure in Newfoundland and Labrador and negotiating fair contracts with public service unions representing pharmacists and other allied health professionals in the province.

Dr. Kara O’Keefe, community pharmacist and PANL Board Member notes that the lack of human resources also puts a great strain on the staff that are there, which leads to pharmacists having to take extra shifts and forgoing time off, which leads to burnout and results in individuals choosing to leave the profession.