A victory for pharmacists

The Report: June 2012 vol.33 num.2

HSA AND ITS PHARMACIST MEMBERS have forced the government to back down on a plan to slash salaries for pharmacists by up to 14 per cent.

The plan, announced without warning in January, would have eliminated a market adjustment for pharmacists introduced in 2006 to address chronic issues of recruitment and retention.

HSA immediately met with representatives of the pharmacist members and on January 18 invited all pharmacist members to participate in a province-wide telephone town hall meeting.

HSA set up a web site allowing members and the public to express their concerns directly to members of the government, the opposition and the health authorities and HSA President Reid Johnson met with Health Minister Mike deJong to discuss the issue. In March, the Health Employers Association announced they had rescinded plans to cut the market adjustment.

HSA President Reid Johnson applauded the efforts of hospital pharmacists across the province who spoke out.

-The almost 1,200 letters sent through the pharmacistsmatter.ca website, along with the efforts of pharmacists who met with MLAs, local health authorities, and who told their stories in the media exerted the pressure we needed for HEABC to reverse its plan for the unilateral wage rollback," Johnson said.

The market adjustment will be maintained for pharmacists until a new collective agreement is in place.