News release

From:

Dr Lisa Kremer, Senior Lecturer in Clinical Pharmacy at the University of Otago and an author of this study, comments:

"The majority of Māori pharmacists who participated in the profession (61%) are considering changing profession or have already left pharmacy.  Most of these people are in community pharmacy roles. Māori pharmacists are wanting to leave because their pharmacist skills and knowledge are underutilised, or are bored in their job with no opportunity for career growth. Those who left are still contributing to the health sector, just in a different role, and left because they also did not feel that their pharmacist skills and knowledge were utilised, not getting paid enough, or not being valued by their employer. This sentiment was shared by those who are thinking about leaving.

"Cultural safety was also indicated by participants. Only six participants selected that they felt culturally safe in their place of work. It is likely that Māori pharmacist recruitment and retention would be increased if workplaces also welcomed, respected, and upheld Māori values to increase the feeling of cultural safety, and limited ‘cultural loading’.

"Our findings also indicate that if Māori pharmacists are going to leave the profession, they are most likely to do so within the first 5 years of registration. "To help to ‘plug the pipeline’, three things should occur; 1) flexible employment settings that enable pharmacists to use their skills and knowledge, 2) increased scope of practice, and 3) adequate remuneration.  The health sector should continue to do these things to retain Māori pharmacists; 1) provide opportunities for community connection that lead to meaningful professional relationships, 2) engage in pharmacist activities that contribute to equitable health outcomes, and 3) ensure Māori pharmacists are flourishing within a team that they feel safe in.

"There is an estimated workforce shortage of pharmacists of approximately 170 full-time equivalent pharmacists. Māori pharmacists make up about 2.1% of the workforce. We cannot afford to lose any more Māori pharmacists."