Professional Pharmacists Australia (PPA) members are threatening industrial action if major pharmacist vacancy rates, which potentially undermine patient welfare and safety, are not urgently addressed.
PPA members at Royal Darwin Hospital and Alice Springs Hospital are currently operating with a 30% vacancy rate, with Katherine Hospital facing potential closure of its pharmacy department in a few months' time, unable to find qualified candidates despite ongoing attempts at recruitment.
PPA President Leon Yap said "potential closure of pharmacy services at Katherine Hospital would mean serious barriers to accessing treatment; including chemotherapy patients treated through Katherine Hospital's cancer care services. While the pharmacy team at Royal Darwin Hospital works hard on contingency plans there is a very real threat to cancer services in regional NT, especially if staffing levels at Royal Darwin Hospital are not addressed."
"There have been longstanding vacancy rates that have been ignored and without these services, patient safety is at serious risk and services will face closure.''
"Our members have asked for an attraction and retention allowance and improvements to base pay rates and conditions as part of enterprise agreement negotiations. However, the offer put forward by NT Government is inadequate and puts our members in a position where they are unable to compete with other states and territories for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians during the recruitment process.
"Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians are being ignored by the NT Government, even though evidence shows that pharmacists and pharmacy technicians keep bed flow moving and capacity open."
PPA Lead Organiser, Jessica Hensman said "We requested a meeting with the NT health Minister, Steve Edington, to find solutions, but he rejected our request. This is a clear message from the Country Liberal Party that they do not care about the future of health services in territory.
"Union members feel they have no other choice left to protect patient safety than to vote on taking industrial action to have their concerns taken seriously."
"Industrial action being voted on will include medications to be dispensed privately (i.e. without submitting a claim to PBS for reimbursement), reducing or stopping some services that are at risk of closure if vacancy levels aren't addressed, all the way up to a complete stoppage of work."
Mr Yap said that taking industrial action is the last thing members want to do, but they have spent almost 12 months in negotiations with the NT government, raising serious concerns only to be ignored.
"Our members are telling us they're burned out, working long hours, and facing critical understaffing. They're committed to patient care, but the system continues to undermine them.
PPA is calling on the NT government to act now and provide an offer as part of enterprise agreement negotiations that will boost attraction and retention and allow the pharmacy department to fill vacant roles and stem the tide of resignations.
"We'll keep fighting to make sure pharmacists are recognised for the vital role they play in our health system, and that means better pay, better staffing, and protecting patient safety."
