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Coordinated Strategies to Attract Pharmacists to the Public Hospital Sector in Victoria
Author(s) -
O'Leary Karen,
Newman Suzanne,
Yeung Sally,
Wright Sue
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
journal of pharmacy practice and research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.222
H-Index - 22
eISSN - 2055-2335
pISSN - 1445-937X
DOI - 10.1002/j.2055-2335.2009.tb00478.x
Subject(s) - medicine , pharmacist , workforce , officer , public sector , nursing , public hospital , job satisfaction , family medicine , medical emergency , pharmacy , management , economic growth , economy , political science , law , economics
A 2001 census of Victoria's public hospitals reported that 8% of the 443.5 pharmacist full‐time equivalent positions were vacant. The funding of a pharmacist project officer by the Victorian Department of Human Services enabled the identification and implementation of recruitment strategies. Subsequent workforce analyses highlighted links between high vacancy rates and reduced job satisfaction with staff retention. Also identified was the importance of hospital‐based training in recruiting newly qualified pharmacists to the public hospital sector. Since 2001, there has been an estimated increase of 185 to 200 full‐time equivalent pharmacist positions in Victoria's public hospitals and the vacancy rate has also improved (8% to 3%). Hospital‐based training is a successful strategy to recruit newly qualified pharmacists and pro‐actively addressing the vacancy rate is an effective retention strategy.