Australia s Health Workforce Series. Pharmacists in Focus. March HWA Australia s Health Workforce Series Pharmacists in Focus

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1 Australia s Health Workforce Series Pharmacists in Focus March

2 Health Workforce Australia. This work is copyright. It may be reproduced in whole or part for study or training purposes. Subject to an acknowledgement of the source, reproduction for purposes other than those indicated above, or not in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968, requires the written permission of Health Workforce Australia (HWA). Enquiries concerning this report and its reproduction should be directed to: Health Workforce Australia Post GPO Box 2098, Adelaide SA 5001 Telephone Internet Suggested citation: Health Workforce Australia [2014]: Australia s Health Workforce Series Pharmacists in Focus 2

3 Contents Introduction 4 About HWA 4 What is a pharmacist? 5 How are pharmacists trained? 5 Associations 6 Regulatory and Accreditation bodies 6 What is known about this workforce? 7 Data sources and limitations 7 National Health Workforce Dataset: Pharmacists 8 ABS Census of Population and Housing 20 ABS Labour Force Survey 29 Workforce inflows 30 Students 30 Immigration 33 How can workforce activity be measured? 35 Pharmacy workforce planning projections 35 Methodology 35 What issues have stakeholders identified for the pharmacy workforce? 36 What were the jurisdiction views? 36 What were the associations views? 37 HWA s assessment of this workforce 38 Existing workforce position assessment 38 Existing workforce position assessment scale 39 Workforce dynamics indicator 40 How do pharmacists compare with other registered health occupations? 42 What does the analysis show? 44 Appendix one Pharmacists by Medicare Local regions 46 3

4 Introduction About HWA Health Workforce Australia (HWA) is a Commonwealth statutory authority established to build a sustainable health workforce that meets Australia s healthcare needs. HWA leads the implementation of national and large scale reform, working in collaboration with health and higher education sectors to address the critical priorities of planning, training and reforming Australia s health workforce. Australia s health system is facing significant challenges, including an ageing population and an ageing health workforce; changing burden of disease, in particular a growing level of chronic disease; and increased demand for health services with higher numbers of people requiring complex and long-term care. To achieve HWA s goal of building a sustainable health workforce that meets Australia s healthcare needs, health workforce planning is essential and in health workforce planning, understanding the number and characteristics of the existing health workforce is the essential first step. Australia s Health Workforce Series describes particular professions, settings and issues of interest to aid workforce planning. This issue of Australia s Health Workforce Series examines pharmacists, bringing together available information to describe the pharmacist workforce, including number and characteristics, potential data sources to measure workforce activity, and an analysis based on information presented. This publication is divided into four main parts: 1. What is a pharmacist a brief overview of the pharmacist role and training pathway, and descriptions of the key regulatory bodies and peak associations. 2. What is known about the pharmacist workforce presentation of data from different sources, describing the number and characteristics of the workforce, student and migration inflows into the workforce, and potential data sources that could be used to measure workforce activity. 3. What issues are expected to impact supply and/or demand for pharmacists a summary of issues obtained through stakeholder consultation. 4. HWA s assessment of the workforce including an assessment of existing workforce position (whether workforce supply matches demand for services or not); presentation of a set of workforce dynamics indicators, used to highlight aspects of the current workforce that may be of concern into the future; and a comparison of the pharmacist workforce s key characteristics with other health workforces. 4

5 What is a pharmacist? Pharmacists use their expertise in medicines to optimise health outcomes and minimise medication misadventure. They apply their knowledge of medicines to promote their safe use and avoid harm to users and others in the community. A sound pharmaceutical knowledge base, effective problem-solving, organisational, communication and interpersonal skills, together with an ethical and professional attitude, are essential to the practice of pharmacy 1. The practice of pharmacy includes the custody, preparation, dispensing and provision of medicines, together with systems and information to assure quality of use. The role of a pharmacist encompasses counselling patients on the best use of medicines, providing advice on symptoms, the management of common ailments, preparing and formulating medications, possible medication side-effects and drug interactions, and providing health education. Pharmacists provide primary healthcare including education and advice to promote good health and to reduce the incidence of illness. Most pharmacists work in community pharmacies, with some owning their own pharmacy or partnership. They also work in public and private hospitals and related services. In hospitals, pharmacists often work as part of the healthcare team to optimise the use of medicines for individuals; they also undertake activities including formulating medicinerelated policy and protocols, and the education of hospital staff. Pharmacists can be accredited to provide medication management review (MMR) services to consumers in their home and in residential aged care facilities. Many accredited MMR pharmacists work independently, others concurrently work within a community or hospital pharmacy. Pharmacists also work in primary care settings such as medical centres, Aboriginal health services and Medicare Locals. In addition, a number of pharmacists are employed by pharmaceutical companies in drug research and regulatory activities, governments and the military, professional organisations, or by universities and TAFE institutes 2. Pharmacy is a registered health profession under the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme (NRAS). Therefore a practitioner must be registered with the Pharmacy Board of Australia to practice as a pharmacist. How are pharmacists trained? To become a pharmacist, a person generally needs to complete an accredited program of study, either a Bachelor of Pharmacy; or a postgraduate pharmacy qualification. At time of publication there are 17 accredited pharmacy schools in Australia and two in New Zealand 3. Following completion of studies, provisional registration as a pharmacist is obtained and a person must then complete an accredited Intern Training Program (ITP), which currently comprises 1,824 hours of supervised practice. Upon successful completion of the ITP and successful completion of written and oral examinations set by the Pharmacy Board of Australia, a person can apply for general registration as a pharmacist. Exceptions to this are overseas-trained pharmacists who have been assessed as having equivalent skills and qualifications to an Australian-trained pharmacist, and have obtained registration with the Pharmacy Board of Australia; and pharmacists who completed their training prior to the implementation of the NRAS, and joined the register under transitional arrangements. 1 National Competency Standards Framework for Pharmacists in Australia Accessed 1 March 2013 at 2 The Job Guide Website Accessed 10 October Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency website. Accessed 17 February

6 Associations Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) PSA is the peak national professional pharmacy organisation representing pharmacists working in Australia. PSA s core business is practice improvement in pharmacy through providing continuing professional development and practice support 4. The Society of Hospital Pharmacists Australia (SHPA) The SHPA is the professional body which represents pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and associates practising in all parts of the Australian health system. SHPA specialises in advocacy for the professional interests of hospital pharmacists and technicians, as well as those delivering a full range of professional pharmacy services such as medication management review services across the entire health system 5. Pharmacy Guild of Australia The Guild is the national pharmacy organisation representing community pharmacy. It strives to promote, maintain and support community pharmacies as accessible primary providers of healthcare to the community, through optimum therapeutic use of medicines, medicines management and related services. Australian Pharmacy Liaison Forum This forum is an independent coalition of representatives from pharmacy organisations, who work together on issues of national importance to the pharmacy profession and the public. Professional Pharmacists Australia (PPA) PPA is the pharmacy division of Professionals Australia, and is a union that represents non-owner pharmacists who work in community pharmacies across Australia 6. Regulatory and Accreditation bodies Pharmacy Board of Australia Responsibilities of the Board include registering pharmacists, provisional pharmacists (interns) and students, developing standards, codes and guidelines for the pharmacy profession, handling notifications, complaints, investigations and disciplinary hearings, approving accreditation standards and accredited courses of study 7. Australian Pharmacy Council (APC) The APC is the current accreditation authority responsible for Australian pharmacists. The APC accredits education providers and programs of study, conducts written examinations on behalf of the Board; and assesses overseas-trained pharmacists and international students graduating from Australian pharmacy programs, to determine their eligibility to apply to commence the registration process. 4 The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia website Accessed 10 October The Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia website Accessed 14 November The Professional Pharmacists Australia website Accessed 6 November The Pharmacy Board of Australia website Accessed 10 October

7 What is known about this workforce? In workforce planning, the first key step is to understand the existing workforce. In this section, information is presented from a range of sources to describe the existing size and characteristics of the pharmacist workforce. Data sources and limitations National Health Workforce Dataset (NHWDS) The NHWDS combines data from the NRAS with pharmacy workforce survey data collected at the time of annual registration renewal. The pharmacy workforce survey is administered through the national registration body, the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA), on behalf of Health Workforce Australia. The pharmacy NHWDS was collected for the first time in 2011, with data for 2011 and 2012 presented in this report. The overall response rate to the pharmacy workforce survey was 77.1 per cent in 2011 and 86.8 per cent in Before the NHWDS, the last survey of the registered pharmacy workforce conducted through the (then) state and territory registration boards was in The NHWDS is collected using a different survey methodology to that previous survey, and comparisons are not recommended. As it is a new collection, the NHWDS shows the current characteristics of the pharmacy workforce. Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Census of Population and Housing The census is a descriptive count of everyone who is in Australia on one night, and of their dwellings. Its objective is to accurately measure the number and key characteristics of people who are in Australia on census night, and of the dwellings in which they live. Information in the census is self-reported, meaning information is dependent on individuals understanding and interpretation of the questions asked. For example, when reporting occupation, a person may selfreport as working in a particular occupation, but not necessarily be appropriately qualified/meet registration standards (where a registrable profession). However the census is able to provide a picture of the changing size and characteristics of the reported pharmacy workforce over time, which is not currently available through the NHWDS. ABS Labour Force Survey (LFS) The ABS LFS provides estimates of the civilian labour force derived from the LFS component of the monthly population survey. As a sample survey, limited detailed information is available to describe the characteristics of people in each occupation. The LFS is better used for determining broad trends over time. Department of Education (DE) The DE conducts the Higher Education Statistics Collection, which provides a range of information on the provision of higher education in all Australian universities. Information on tertiary course commencements and completions by field of education is presented in this publication. Cautions to note with the DE data include: Information may include courses allocated to the pharmacy field of education that do not lead to registration as a pharmacist. That is, it may include students in non-accredited courses. The accuracy of coding courses to field of education is the responsibility of each university, and is subject to the knowledge of those allocating the codes. Information includes combined courses where the course has been allocated to two fields of education. Combined courses are courses designed to lead to a single combined award or to meet the requirements of more than one award. 7

8 Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) DIBP information is administrative by-product data, reporting the number of temporary and permanent visa applications granted to pharmacists. National Health Workforce Dataset: Pharmacists As noted earlier, the annual NHWDS for pharmacists was first collected in Information is collected from pharmacists at the time of their annual registration renewal (for most practitioners, registration renewal is due in October and November). In this section, information focuses on describing the number and characteristics of employed pharmacists in 2011 and Please note, in the NHWDS, the term employed means a practitioner who worked for a total of one hour or more in the week before the survey in a job or business (including own business) for pay, commission, payment in kind or profit; or usually worked but was on leave for less than three months, or on strike or locked out, or rostered off. Labour force status In 2012 there were 27,025 pharmacists and provisional pharmacists registered in Australia (figure 1), with the majority (84 per cent or 22,676) in the pharmacy labour force (either working, looking for work, or on extended leave). Of those in the pharmacy labour force, most (94 per cent or 21,331 pharmacists) were working at the time of the survey. Within this, approximately four out of five pharmacists were working as clinicians practitioners who spend the majority of their time undertaking activities related to the diagnosis, care, and treatment, including recommending preventative action, of patients or clients either in the primary care or hospital setting. This includes pharmacists conducting medication reviews and managers also providing clinical services. Of the 27,025 persons registered with the Board in 2012, seven per cent (1,945) held provisional registration, that is, they have completed their accredited pharmacy degree and are undertaking an ITP. Before obtaining general registration, the Pharmacy Board of Australia requires graduates successfully complete an ITP, which currently comprises 1,824 hours of supervised practice; and pass a written and oral examination. Pharmacists must obtain provisional registration before they can commence this period of supervised practice. 8

9 Figure 1: Registered pharmacists by labour force status, 2012 Total pharmacy registrations 27,025 In pharmacy labour force 22,676 (83.9%) Not in pharmacy labour forcce 2,404 (8.9%) Provisional registrants 1,945 (7.2%) Employed in pharmacy 21,331 (94.1%) Employed elsewhere and not looking for work in pharmacy 711 (29.6%) Clinician 17,097 (80.2%) Not employed and not looking for work 510 (21.2%) Administrator 1,909 (8.9%) Overseas 742 (30.9%) Teacher/educator 342 (1.6%) Researcher 212 (1.0%) Retired 441 (18.3%) Independent consultant 251 (7.1%) Other 1,521 (1.2%) On extended leave 1,072 (4.7%) Looking for work in pharmacy 272 (1.2%) Source: NHWDS: allied health practitioners

10 Age and gender In 2012 there were 21,331 registered pharmacists employed in pharmacy in Australia, an increase of 3.6 per cent (or 751 pharmacists) from 2011 (table 1). Females accounted for most of this growth, increasing by 548 from 2011 to 2012, more than double the increase in male pharmacists (203) over the same period. Table 1: number of employed pharmacists by gender, 2011 and % increase Male 8,713 8, Female 11,867 12, Persons 20,580 21, % Female Source: NHWDS: allied health practitioners 2011 and 2012 The average age of employed pharmacists was approximately 40 years in both 2011 and Female pharmacists have a younger average age, and a lower percentage aged over 55, than male pharmacists. The relatively large number of female pharmacists in the and age cohorts, which results in this younger age profile, is clearly shown in figures 2 and 3. Table 2: employed pharmacists, age profile by gender, 2011 and 2012 Average age (years) Percentage aged 55 and over Male Female Persons Source: NHWDS: allied health practitioners 2011 and

11 Figure 2: number of employed pharmacists by age cohort and gender, 2011 Age (yrs) < 25 Male Female 4,000 3,000 2,000 1, ,000 2,000 3,000 4,000 Number Source: NHWDS: allied health practitioners 2011 Figure 3: number of employed pharmacists by age cohort and gender, 2012 Age (yrs) Male Female < 25 4,000 3,000 2,000 1, ,000 2,000 3,000 4,000 Number Source: NHWDS: allied health practitioners

12 Hours worked Pharmacists worked an average of 35.9 hours per week in both 2011 and In both years, male pharmacists had higher average weekly hours than female pharmacists (by approximately five hours). Table 3: employed pharmacists, average weekly hours worked and full-time equivalent by gender, 2011 and Average weekly hours Full-time equivalent (a) Average weekly hours Full-time equivalent (a) Males , ,113 Females , ,025 Persons , ,137 (a) FTE calculated on a 38 hour week Source: NHWDS: allied health practitioners 2011 and 2012 Figure 4 shows the majority of both male and female pharmacists worked between hours per week. One in every three pharmacists (33 per cent or 7,003) worked part-time (less than 35 hours per week). Higher percentages of females working part-time and higher percentages of males working more than 49 hours per week can clearly be seen in figure 4, and is reflected in the average hours worked shown in table 3. 12

13 Figure 4: employed pharmacists by total weekly hours worked, Males Females 50 % of employed pharmacists < Total weekly hours worked Source: NHWDS: allied health practitioners 2012 Years worked In 2012, pharmacists had worked in pharmacy in Australia for an average of 15 years (table 4). Pharmacists employed as independent consultants and administrators had the highest number of years in the pharmacy workforce, at 22 years and 21 years worked respectively. This potentially reflects career pathways with more experienced pharmacists becoming independent consultants or moving into administration. While average years worked by pharmacists working in these roles were higher than average years worked by clinicians, pharmacists working in administrative and consultancy roles only represented approximately 10 per cent of employed pharmacists in both 2011 and 2012, so had little effect on the total average years worked. There was relatively little change in pharmacists years worked between 2011 and 2012 (table 4). 13

14 Table 4: employed pharmacists, average years worked by principal role, 2011 and 2012 Principal role Clinician Administrator Teacher or educator Researcher Independent consultant n.a Other Total n.a. not available Source: NHWDS: allied health practitioners 2011 and 2012 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander status Few employed pharmacists reported as being of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander status (table 5). Table 5: number of employed pharmacists reporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander status, 2011 and Male Female Persons % of all employed pharmacists Source: NHWDS: allied health practitioners 2011 and 2012 Table 6 shows selected characteristics of those pharmacists of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander status. Pharmacists of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander status had an average age of 35 years in 2011 and 37 years in 2012 (table 6). In both years the average age of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander pharmacists was lower than the average for the total workforce (as shown in table 2, this was 40 years in both 2011 and 2012). In 2012, pharmacists of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander status worked an average of 40 hours per week, higher than the workforce average of 36 hours shown in table 3. Care should be taken when interpreting these figures due to the small number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander practitioners. 14

15 Table 6: employed pharmacists reporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander status, average age and average hours worked, 2011 and 2012 Average age (years) Average hours worked Male Female Persons Source: NHWDS: allied health practitioners 2011 and 2012 Country of first qualification In 2012, 86 per cent (18,446 pharmacists) of the pharmacy workforce earned their first pharmacy qualification in Australia. The characteristics of overseas-trained pharmacists from countries other than New Zealand differed to those of Australian-trained pharmacists, with: A higher average age (43 years compared with 39 for Australian-trained). A slightly higher percentage aged over 55 years. A substantially lower percentage of females (approximately 50 per cent, compared to 59 per cent for Australiantrained pharmacists). Table 7: selected characteristics of employed pharmacists by country of first qualification, 2012 Country of initial qualification Number Average age % aged 55+ % female Average weekly hours worked FTE (a) Australia 18, ,359 New Zealand Other countries Not stated/ inadequately described 2, Total 21, ,137 (a) FTE calculated on a 38 hour week Source: NHWDS: allied health practitioners

16 Sector and setting Table 8 shows the number of pharmacists undertaking clinical work in the public and private sectors in A higher number of pharmacists worked in the private sector, which reflects the high percentage of the workforce employed in community pharmacies (shown in table 9). Pharmacists may undertake clinical work in both the private and public sector. Full-time equivalent calculations account for hours worked in each sector, and show that almost three-quarters (74 per cent) of pharmacists clinical work is in the private sector. Table 8: employed pharmacists undertaking clinical work by sector, 2012 Public Private Number 5,554 15,006 Clinical FTE (a) 4,254 12,071 (a) FTE calculated on a 38 hour week Source: NHWDS: allied health practitioners 2012 Almost two-thirds of employed pharmacists (63 per cent or 13,454) worked in community pharmacy in A further 18 per cent (3,762 pharmacists) worked in a hospital setting (table 9). Table 9: Number of employed pharmacists by work setting of main job, 2011 and 2012 Setting Number Number % of total % change 2011 to 2012 Community pharmacy 13,091 13, Hospital 3,590 3, Community healthcare service Medical centre Other private practice Educational facility Other government department or agency Pharmaceutical manufacturing Other commercial/business service Residential healthcare facility Defence force Wholesale pharmacy

17 Setting Number Number % of total % change 2011 to 2012 Correctional services Aboriginal health service Other Inadequately described/not stated 1, Total 20,580 21, Source: NHWDS: allied health practitioners 2011 and 2012 Employed pharmacists average weekly hours worked varied by work setting, ranging from a low of 33 hours in other private practice to a high of 40 hours in pharmaceutical manufacturing. Additional to those in pharmaceutical manufacturing, pharmacists working in Aboriginal health services and community healthcare service settings also had substantially higher average weekly hours (39 and 38 hours respectively) than the workforce average (figure 5). Figure 5: employed pharmacists, average weekly hours worked by work setting, 2012 National average (35.9) Pharmaceutical manufacturing Aboriginal health services Community health care service Educational facility Wholesale pharmacy Correctional services Other commercial/business service Community pharmacy Other government dept/agency Hospital Medical centre Defence forces Other Residential health care facility Other private practice Average weekly hours worked Source: NHWDS: allied health practitioners

18 Distribution Information from the NHWDS on the distribution of the pharmacist workforce is based on survey respondents reported location of main job. State and territory In 2012, the majority of employed pharmacists were located in the more highly populated states of New South Wales (31 per cent), Victoria (26 per cent) and Queensland (20 per cent). The number of pharmacists per 100,000 population was lowest in the Northern Territory, which at 66.8 pharmacists per 100,000 population was much lower than the national average of Pharmacists located in the Northern Territory also had a younger age profile and higher average weekly hours worked than the national average. The number of pharmacists increased in each state and territory from 2011 to 2012, with the largest percentage increases occurring in the Australian Capital Territory and Northern Territory (table 10). Table 10: selected characteristics of employed pharmacists by state and territory, 2011 and 2012 NSW VIC QLD SA WA TAS NT ACT AUS 2012 Number 6,584 5,465 4,197 1,625 2, ,331 No. per 100,000 population Average age % aged 55 and over Average hours worked % female Number 6,331 5,348 4,073 1,540 2, ,580 No. per 100,000 population % change in number 2011 to Source: NHWDS: allied health practitioners 2011 and 2012, ABS, Australian Demographic Statistics, Dec 2012, cat. no Remoteness area The remoteness area (RA) structure is a geographic classification system produced by the ABS and is used to present regional data. The RA categories are defined in terms of the physical distance of a location from the nearest urban centre (access to goods and services) based on population size. A measure of workforce availability is the ratio between the number of pharmacists and an area s population (noting there is no agreed ideal workforce to population ratio). 18

19 In 2012, the pharmacy workforce was concentrated in major cities, with a rate of pharmacists per 100,000 population. Very remote areas had the lowest concentration of pharmacists, with 39.8 per 100,000 population. However, very remote areas also had the largest percentage increase of pharmacists between 2011 and 2012 (of almost one-fifth) between the two years (table 11). Table 11: selected characteristics of employed pharmacists by remoteness area, 2011 and 2012 Major cities Inner regional Outer Very regional Remote (a) remote (a) Australia 2012 Number 16,225 3,301 1, ,331 No. per 100,000 population Average age % aged 55 and over Average hours worked % female Number 15,681 3,157 1, ,580 No. per 100,000 population % change in number 2011 to (a) Care should be taken when interpreting the figures for remote and very remote areas due to the relatively small number of employed pharmacists who reported their location of main job was in these regions. Source: NHWDS: allied health practitioners 2011 and 2012, ABS, Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2012, cat. no Medicare Local regions In 2011 the Australian government established 61 Medicare Locals across Australia. The Commonwealth government funds these organisations to plan, fund and deliver healthcare services at a local level, with each Medicare Local covering a defined geographic area. Table 12 shows the Medicare Local regions with the highest and lowest rate of employed pharmacists per 100,000 population, by primary place of work (a full list of Medicare Locals is included as appendix 1). Please note, data in this table shows the number of pharmacists per 100,000 population working in the relevant Medicare Local region, and provides a useful refection of the geographical distribution of pharmacists it does not reflect pharmacists employed by Medicare Local organisations. As can be expected, Medicare Local regions with the highest rate of employed pharmacists per 100,000 population were in capital cities, while most of the Medicare Local regions with the lowest rate of employed pharmacists were located in regional and remote areas. The concentration of pharmacists in capital cities reflects both population distribution and the location of major employers of pharmacists, such as major hospitals. 19

20 Table 12: number of employed pharmacists, number per 100,000 population by selected Medicare Local regions, 2012 Highest Lowest State/ Territory Medicare Local Rate State/ Territory Medicare Local Rate VIC Inner North West Melbourne WA Kimberley Pilbara 49.1 NSW Eastern Sydney VIC South Western Melbourne 51.6 WA Perth Central and East Metro NSW Far West NSW 57.1 SA Central Adelaide and Hills QLD Central and North West Queensland 58.0 NSW Sydney North Shore and Beaches WA Goldfields Midwest 60.0 Source: NHWDS: allied health practitioners 2012, ABS, Australian Demographic Statistics, Dec 2012, cat. no ABS Census of Population and Housing While the NHWDS provides a picture of the number and characteristics of the current pharmacist workforce, historical information showing trends in the pharmacy workforce is not available from this source (although as it is an annual collection, this is a short-term issue only). Census information is self-reported, so people may report that they are a pharmacist without being a registered practitioner. However, the census provides a picture of the changing number and characteristics of the reported pharmacist workforce, which is not currently available through the NHWDS. In the census, the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) is used to publish occupation statistics. In ANZSCO, there are three detailed categories of pharmacists, all requiring registration or licensing: 1. Hospital pharmacists prepare and dispense pharmaceuticals, drugs and medicines in a hospital pharmacy. 2. Industrial pharmacists conduct research, testing and analysis related to the development, production, storage, quality control and distribution of drugs and related supplies. 3. Retail pharmacists dispense prescribed pharmaceuticals to the public, educate customers on health promotion, disease prevention and the proper use of medicines, and sell non-prescription medicines and related goods in a community pharmacy. In practice, retail pharmacists are commonly called community pharmacists. Over the last four census years, approximately 80 per cent of all pharmacists were retail (or community) pharmacists (figure 6). Given this, the fact the education pathway to become a pharmacist is the same regardless of practice setting after qualification, and the fact that NHWDS data is presented for all pharmacists, census information for pharmacists is examined in total rather than at the detailed category level. Please note, information is presented for people who self-reported as employed pharmacists in the census (regardless of level of education). This includes those people working for an employer or conducting their own business, including those with their own incorporated company as well as sole traders, partnerships and contractors. Also, the ABS randomly adjusts cells to avoid the release of confidential data, so there can be slight discrepancies in totals when comparing census tables. 20

21 Figure 6: employed pharmacists by type of pharmacist, 1996 to Percent of all pharmacists Retail pharmacist Hospital pharmacist Industrial pharmacist Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing, 1996 to 2011 Age and gender The number of employed pharmacists increased substantially from 1996 to 2011 (by approximately 7,600, table 13). Almost all of this increase was due to an increase in the number of employed female pharmacists, which doubled from 1996 to 2011 (up 103 per cent or 6,017 pharmacists). This increase in female participation is consistent with increases in female participation across other occupations. Table 13: number of employed pharmacists by gender, 1996 to % increase 1996 to 2011 Males 6,438 6,751 6,754 8, Females 5,870 7,215 8,582 11, Persons 12,308 13,966 15,336 19, % female Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing 1996 to 2011 The pharmacy workforce has a relatively young age profile. Between 1996 and 2011 the percentage of the workforce aged over 55 years fell from approximately 22 per cent to 14 per cent. Most of this was due to males aged over 55 years falling as a percentage of the workforce from approximately one in three in 1996 to one in five in Average age information for 1996 was not readily available, however with the substantial fall in the percentage of the workforce aged 55 years and over, it can be expected that the average age also fell from 1996 to 2011 (table 14). 21

22 Table 14: employed pharmacists, age profile by gender, 1996 and 2011 Average age Per cent aged 55 and over Males n.a Females n.a Persons n.a n.a. not available Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing 1996 and 2011 The changing gender profile and high percentages of younger pharmacists is reflected in figures 7 to 10, which show a detailed age and gender breakdown of employed pharmacists for each selected census year. In particular, strong growth in the number of females aged below 35 entering the profession between 2006 and 2011 can clearly be seen in figure 10. Figure 7: number of employed pharmacists by age and gender, 1996 Figure 8: number of employed pharmacists by age and gender, 2001 Age (yrs) Male Female Age (yrs) Male Female < 25 < 25 3,000 2,000 1, ,000 2,000 3,000 Number 3,000 2,000 1, ,000 2,000 3,000 Number Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing, 1996 Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing, 2001 Figure 9: number of employed pharmacists by age and gender, 2006 Figure 10: number of employed pharmacists by age and gender, 2011 Age (yrs) Male Female Age (yrs) Male Female < 25 < 25 3,000 2,000 1, ,000 2,000 3,000 Number 3,000 2,000 1, ,000 2,000 3,000 Number Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing, 2006 Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing,

23 Hours worked Average weekly hours worked have reduced substantially, by over five hours per week from 1996 (39.2) to 2011 (34.1). This fall is primarily the result of a fall in male average weekly hours (a decrease of seven hours, from 44.6 to 37.6), with female average weekly hours falling less than two hours (33.3 to 31.8) over the same period (figure 11). Figure 11: employed pharmacists, average weekly hours worked, 1996 and 2011 Average weekly hours Males Females Persons Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing 1996 and

24 Reductions in average weekly hours worked occurred across all age groups for both males and females from 1996 to 2011 (figures 12 and 13). For males, the largest falls occurred in the less than 25 (a drop of 8.1 hours) and (7.9 hours) age cohorts. For females, the largest fall occurred in the less than 25 cohort (a drop of 4.8 hours). Figure 12: employed male pharmacists by age and average hours worked, 1996 and 2011 Figure 13: employed female pharmacists by age and average hours worked, 1996 and 2011 Average weekly hours Average weekly hours < Males 2011 Males 0 < Females 2011 Females Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing 1996 and 2011 Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing 1996 and 2011 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander status While the number of employed pharmacists reporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander status has remained low, relative to the 1996 level there has been a substantial increase to 2011 (table 15). Table 15: number of employed pharmacists by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander status, 1996 to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Non-Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander 12,264 13,896 15,254 19,845 Total (a) 12,320 13,959 15,335 19,934 (a) Includes Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander status not stated Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing 1996 to Country/region of birth While most employed pharmacists were born in Australia, the percentage of those born in Australia fell almost 20 percentage points from 1996 (76 per cent) to 2011 (58 per cent). Over the same period, the number of overseas-born pharmacists from the Maritime South-East Asia and Chinese Asia regions tripled, while the number of pharmacists from Mainland South-East Asia also increased sharply (table 16). 24

25 Table 16: employed pharmacists top five countries/regions of birth, 1996 and Country/region of birth Number % Country/region of birth Number % Australia 9, Australia 11, United Kingdom Maritime South-East Asia 1, Mainland South-East Asia Chinese Asia 1, Maritime South-East Asia Mainland South-East Asia 1, Chinese Asia United Kingdom Other countries (a) 1, Other countries (a) 3, Total 12, Total 19, (a) Includes inadequately described and not stated. Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing, 1996 and 2011 Education While the NHWDS provides insight into the roles and work settings that registered pharmacists are employed in, it does not provide information on the levels of qualification held by pharmacists. Census data provides an indicator of the types of qualifications held by those who self-reported as a pharmacist, and also provides information about the occupation of those who have qualifications in pharmacy but are not working as pharmacists. Table 17 shows the number of people who reported their highest level of qualification in pharmacy, by the type of qualification and the occupation they reported as working in at the time of the census. Most people with their highest level of qualification in pharmacy reported a bachelor degree as their highest level of qualification (17,945 pharmacists or 69 per cent). Those with their highest level of qualification in pharmacy most commonly reported an occupation of professional (18,386), and within this, almost all reported an occupation of pharmacist (16,984). It should be noted current registration standards generally require a pharmacist to have completed an accredited qualification in pharmacy (refer to how are optometrists trained? ). Those people who self-reported as a pharmacist with an advanced diploma or diploma (126) or a certificate (62) as their highest level of qualification may have gained registration under transitional arrangements during the implementation of the NRAS, or may not actually meet current registration standards to be recognised as a pharmacist. 25

26 Table 17: employed persons, highest level of qualification in pharmacy, by type of qualification and occupation, 2011 Highest level of qualification Occupation Postgraduate degree Graduate diploma and graduate certificate Bachelor degree Advanced diploma and diploma Certificate Total (a) Managers ,624 Professionals 1, , ,386 Pharmacists 1, , ,984 Sales workers ,898 Other occupations , ,399 4,072 Total 2,174 1,515 17, ,707 25,980 (a) Includes level of education inadequately described and level of education not stated. Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing 2011 Sector and industry of employment In all selected census years the majority of pharmacists were employed in the private sector; which reflects the large percentage of the workforce employed in retail and community pharmacy settings (table 18). The percentage of pharmacists employed in the private sector remained relatively steady in each selected census year (at approximately 85 per cent). The number of pharmacists employed by commonwealth and state and territory governments increased from 1996 to In particular, there was a sharp increase in the number of pharmacists employed by state and territory governments between 2006 and 2011 of 56 per cent or 949 pharmacists. Table 18: number of employed pharmacists by sector of employment, 1996 to 2011 Sector Commonwealth government State and territory government 1,540 1,587 1,701 2,650 Private 10,559 12,161 13,370 16,989 Total (a) 12,312 14,033 15,335 19,940 (a) Includes local government and sector not stated. Source: ABS Population of Census and Housing 1996 to 2011 Consistent with most pharmacists working in the private sector, most worked in retail trade, representing pharmacists working in community pharmacies (table 19). The increase in the number working in hospitals likely accounts for the increase in those employed in state and territory government (shown in table 18). 26

27 Table 19: number of employed pharmacists by industry, 1996 to 2011 Industry Retail trade 9,544 10,809 11,520 14,852 Healthcare and social assistance 1,770 1,754 2,568 3,447 Hospitals (except psychiatric hospitals) 1,500 1, ,031 Other healthcare and social assistance Manufacturing Other industries ,043 Total 12,333 13,904 15,332 19,941 Source: ABS Population of Census and Housing 1996 to 2011 Distribution Information from the census on the distribution of the pharmacist workforce is based on place of usual residence (not place of work). State and territory The number of employed pharmacists across states and territories generally reflects population size. In 2011, approximately three-quarters of employed pharmacists were located in the more highly populated states of New South Wales (30 per cent), Victoria (26 per cent) and Queensland (20 per cent). From 2006 to 2011, New South Wales experienced the largest increase in the number of employed pharmacists (1,193), while Western Australia experienced the greatest percentage increase (45 per cent). The number of employed pharmacists and the rate of pharmacists per 100,000 population increased in all states and territories between 2006 and 2011 (table 20). Table 20: selected characteristics of employed pharmacists by state and territory, 2006 and 2011 NSW VIC QLD SA WA TAS NT ACT AUS 2011 Number 6,013 5,243 4,026 1,514 2, ,941 No. per 100,000 population Average age % aged 55 and over Average hours worked % female

28 NSW VIC QLD SA WA TAS NT ACT AUS 2006 Number 4,820 4,144 2,963 1,150 1, ,334 No. per 100,000 population % change in number 2006 to Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing, 2006 and 2011, ABS, Australian Demographic Statistics, Dec 2012, cat. no Remoteness area In both selected census years, major cities had the highest number of pharmacists. The rate of pharmacists per 100,000 population in major cities (83.0 in 2006 and 99.5 in 2011) was substantially higher than all other remoteness areas in both years. Major cities also had the largest increase in the rate of employed pharmacists per 100,000 population between 2006 and 2011 (up 16.5 pharmacists per 100,000 population). The number of employed pharmacists and the rate of pharmacists per 100,000 population increased between 2006 and 2011 in most other regional areas. An exception is very remote areas, where there was a decrease in the number of pharmacists and the rate per 100,000 population (decreasing from 23.5 in 2006 to 15.7 in 2011) between the two years (table 21). Table 21: selected characteristics of employed pharmacists by remoteness area, 2006 and 2011 Major cities Inner regional 2011 Outer Very regional Remote (a) remote (a) Australia (b) Number 15,610 2,846 1, ,941 No. per 100,000 population Average age % aged 55 and over Average hours worked % female Number 11,792 2,316 1, ,334 No. per 100,000 population % change in number 2006 to (a) Care should be taken when interpreting the figures for remote and very remote areas due to the relatively small number of employed pharmacists who reported their usual residence was in these regions. (b) Includes migratory and no usual residence. Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing, 2006 and 2011, ABS, Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2012, cat. no

29 ABS Labour Force Survey While the Census occurs every five years, the ABS Labour Force Survey (LFS) is conducted monthly, and every quarter more detailed information is asked on occupation. Figure 14 presents annualised quarterly ABS LFS data, showing trends in the number of employed pharmacists over time. The ABS LFS shows that over the period from 1996 to 2013: The number of employed pharmacists generally increased, with an average annual growth rate of 1.5 per cent. The number of employed pharmacists per 100,000 population had an average annual growth of 1.2 per cent. The FTE rate per 100,000 population (calculated using a 38 hour week) experienced a small annual decline (of 0.4 per cent) over the period. Figure 14 shows the FTE rate diverges from the employed rate from approximately 2005 onwards. This divergence reflects the fall in average weekly hours a result of males reducing their work hours, combined with increasing numbers of females entering the workforce and working part-time. Figure 14: employed pharmacists number, number per 100,000 and FTE per 100,000, 1996 to Number ('000) Rate per 100, Empoyed Employed rate per 100,000 ERP FTE Rate per 100,000 ERP Source: ABS, Labour Force, Australia, Detailed Quarterly, Feb Cat. no Data cube E08, ABS, Australian Demographic Statistics, Dec 2012, cat. no According the LFS, pharmacists average weekly hours have decreased over time from 38.9 hours per week in 1996 to 32.8 in Within this, female hours worked showed little change across the period, while male average weekly hours decreased substantially, by over 10 hours per week (table 22). 29