Northland pharmacist shortage sparks scholarship solution

Vicki Douglas has established a scholarship scheme to lure pharmacists to Northland as a solution to staff shortages. Photo / Jenny Ling

A Bay of Islands pharmacist has thought outside the box in a bid to boost staff numbers due to a nationwide shortage of pharmacists.

Pharmacist of 40 years Vicki Douglas said there are few qualified pharmacists in New Zealand and trying to attract them to the regions is a real struggle.

The shortage has been getting worse over the last few years, she said.

"Covid stopped overseas students coming to Kerikeri, and for the first time in a couple of years the pharmacy schools are not filling their spaces so gradually the number of graduates is reducing.

"A lot of Auckland University students are unwilling to move out of the city to take on internships.

"Businesses like Chemist Warehouse and Countdown Pharmacies are also taking some of the workforce.

"So there's a shortage of qualified staff and also interns."

Douglas - who owns Bay of Islands Pharmacies, which include Unichem Kerikeri and Waipapa, and Unichem Kerimed and Unichem Kerikeri Medical Centre - said she lost six staff due to Government vaccine mandates.

"It's becoming really tight. It took us a year to replace a pharmacist we lost last year. Even through recruitment agencies, people are not willing to move."

Douglas has established an initiative to help address the skills shortage in Northland.

She is offering four $3000 scholarships to third year Otago University students to carry out a one-week rural placement at her pharmacies as part of their course.

She created an online video selling the town so that students can see why a placement up north is a great option.

"I started thinking outside the square. It's a fabulous business for people to learn with and expand their professional capacities.

"If they can get to Kerikeri as a student they can see possibilities for a future in the regions and stay on as a qualified."

So far 25 applicants have been narrowed down to take up the four scholarships this year. The programme will run for another four years after that.

Students can spend their week placement anytime over the next four months.

A mentoring programme will also be offered to students as part of the scholarship.

"Professionally they get to know their customers and develop relationships with them," Douglas said.

"What I want to give to these people is a broad range of what the possibilities are for their future and develop them into the best version of themselves."

Mangawhai Pharmacy owner Lanny Wong said she was experiencing similar staffing issues.

Wong just lost three staff, including two pharmacists, one who left to go elsewhere and the other semi-retired.

She is currently training a graduate from Auckland University and hopes to secure another candidate from overseas.

Wong said there were "a lot of things driving the shortage", including burnout through the pandemic and low wages.

"We're really at the forefront of everything. It's not easy, even for me - if I didn't own the business I would have probably thrown in the towel.

"We've been underfunded for a very long time, during the pandemic it really highlighted that.

"Pharmacy wages have been stagnant for some time. We have to work so hard yet our wages haven't kept up with inflation for the last 10 to 15 years."

Pharmacy Guild of New Zealand chief executive Andrew Gaudin said there has been a shortage of pharmacists in parts of the country, particularly rural areas, "for some time".

"This is now being felt nationwide.

"We have been raising this issue with the Government and Ministry of Health officials for many years.

"A key part of our work on behalf of our members aims to improve pharmacist remuneration to help address the issue."