Recruiting a pharmacist or a pharmacy technical assistant (PTA) in Quebec now takes months. In the meantime, teams become exhausted, owners give up their vacations, and some pharmacies are forced to reduce their operating hours. In this environment, one role has become indispensable: the relief pharmacist.
Why Recruiting Has Become So Difficult
- An insufficient pipeline of new professionals: Only two faculties (Universitรฉ de Montrรฉal and Universitรฉ Laval) train pharmacists, and the number of graduates is not enough to offset retirements and the growing demand for pharmacy services.
- Increased competition: Pharmacies are competing not only with one another, but also with Santรฉ Quรฉbec, the pharmaceutical industry, and insurance companies, which often offer schedules without evenings or weekends.
- An expanded role: Since Bill 31 (and soon Bill 67), pharmacists can prescribe medications, make treatment adjustments, and administer vaccines. These expanded responsibilities are rewarding, but they also require more time and resources.
- Regional workforce shortages: Areas such as the Cรดte-Nord, Abitibi, Gaspรฉsie, and Bas-Saint-Laurent regions face particular challenges in attracting pharmacy staff.
The Relief Pharmacist: An Essential Role
A relief pharmacist is no longer just a last-resort solution. They are often the key to keeping a pharmacy operating despite ongoing staffing shortages.
Keeping the Pharmacy Open
Medications cannot be dispensed without a pharmacist on site. Without a relief pharmacist, an absence due to illness, parental leave, or professional training can mean reducing operating hours or even closing temporarily, resulting in the loss of patients.
Giving Pharmacy Owners a Chance to Recharge
Many pharmacy owners, especially in remote regions, are no longer able to take vacations because they cannot find coverage. An exhausted owner can impact the entire team. Relief pharmacists make time off possible.
Handling Peak Periods and Unexpected Situations
Vaccination campaigns, construction holiday periods, or the sudden departure of an employee can create urgent staffing gaps. Relief pharmacists help fill these gaps and avoid rushed hiring decisions.
Supporting Future Recruitment
Many newly graduated pharmacists begin their careers through relief work, allowing them to discover different pharmacy environments. A successful relief assignment can become the best job interview: today’s relief pharmacist may become tomorrow’s staff pharmacist or even a future partner.
How to Adapt
- Build a network of relief pharmacists: Stay connected with your best temporary pharmacists, work with your banner or banner-affiliated network and staffing agencies, and book coverage several months in advance for summer vacations and the holiday season.
- Provide a strong onboarding experience: Offer a welcome guide covering software systems, procedures, and clinic agreements. Provide fair compensation and, for regional assignments, cover accommodation and travel expenses whenever possible.
- Offer flexibility: Rotating weekend schedules, preferred part-time arrangements, and four-day workweeks can make positions more attractive.
- Invest in the next generation: Welcome Pharm.D. students and pharmacy technical assistant trainees to help develop future talent.
- Retain your current team: Encourage continuing education, offer clinical responsibilities, and recognize employees’ contributions on a daily basis.
Conclusion
The staffing shortage is not going away anytime soon. The pharmacies that are coping best are those that combine a stable core team with a reliable network of relief pharmacists. Relief pharmacists should not be viewed as an emergency expense, but rather as an investment in continuity of care, team well-being, and the long-term future of the pharmacy.
