Alone in charge and exhausted

Pascale Gagnon’s pharmacy, in Gatineau, has always been closed on Sundays. Recently, it has also been on Saturdays. “I had already reduced my opening hours in the evening due to a lack of pharmacists and now it’s worse than worse,” says the pharmacist-owner, exhausted.

In almost a year and a half, Pascale Gagnon has lost two pharmacists. She is now alone behind the counter of her small branch under the Familiprix brand. “I can’t have gastro!” The pharmacy will be closed. Imagine the stress. »

In Quebec, more and more pharmacies are shortening their opening hours, due to a lack of pharmacists and pharmacy technical assistants (ATP). In large centers as well as in the regions, several branches close earlier (6 p.m. instead of 8 p.m., or 8 p.m. rather than 10 p.m.) or even on Sundays. To the great despair of some parents looking for medicine for their sick child…

“This is more of a problem in small towns and villages where the pharmacy that was open all the time cannot fill every weekend evening, Sundays or even public holidays,” points out Benoit Morin, president of the Quebec Association of Pharmacist Owners.

But cities like Saguenay, which has 150,000 inhabitants, are also affected. For two years, all pharmacies in the Chicoutimi district – where a major hospital is located – have closed their doors on December 25, indicates David Lapierre, pharmacist who owns a branch under the Familiprix brand, located in this sector.

People from Chicoutimi had access to three pharmacies in the Jonquière district during the last two days of Christmas, according to David Lapierre. However, they had to travel around ten kilometers to get there.

This situation pushed the regional committee on pharmaceutical services of the CIUSSS du Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean to act. This fall, pharmacists in the region will discuss among themselves to offer coverage during the holiday season. Even if they are independent entrepreneurs, free to choose their schedules, recalls David Lapierre, member of the committee.

According to him, pharmacies could only open their laboratory. “They could do door service,” he says.

Agencies in the portrait

The Ministry of Health and Social Services recognizes “staffing problems” in community pharmacies in “certain regions”. He says he is “aware” that “the increase in the volume of prescriptions” and “growing patient demand” for services such as the evaluation of minor health problems “increasing the need for manpower”.

According to Benoit Morin, this lack of personnel is also exacerbated by the presence of private pharmacy replacement agencies. “We see the phenomenon that we see in the health network. »

The agencies offer pharmacists advantageous working conditions. Pharmacies are forced to call on them because they are unable to fill their permanent positions.

Agencies are attracting “more and more” ATPs, which is becoming “problematic,” according to the president of the Quebec Association of Pharmacy Assistants and Technicians, Marylène Lévesque. They offer them a salary of $28 to $40 per hour, compared to around $23 to $25 in community pharmacies, she explains.

Patients pay the price, believes Pascale Gagnon. “Replacement pharmacists don’t know them,” she says. We know their children, their life story, their problems. » She considers the agency prices “exorbitant”. “Just the hourly rate is at least double that of a pharmacist who works in a regular position,” she maintains.

Pharmacist Boumediene Sellaf worked as a replacement in agencies for nearly 10 years before becoming the owner of a pharmacy under the Uniprix brand in Témiscaming. He denounces the “opportunism” of agencies, which charge more than before.

“It happened that I paid up to $240 an hour [pour un pharmacien] ! »

Boumediene Sellaf recently hired two temporary foreign workers as ATPs. Its pharmacy will be able to remain open until 7 p.m. during the week, instead of 6 p.m. “Quite a few patients have asked us to extend opening hours because they finish late [de travailler] “, he explains.

The pharmacy will remain closed on Sundays since he is the only pharmacist.

Agencies, a “solution”?

The replacement agencies Alliance Pharma and RxJob, which have existed for 15 and 25 years respectively, believe that they represent “not a problem”, but a “solution for pharmacist owners”. “The needs [de remplacement] have always been there,” says their vice-president Isabelle Bégin.

According to the president of the Évolupharma agency, Rachel Nantel, the arrival of new players on the market has caused an “outbidding” in prices. Companies like BeLocum and PharmaBase have developed apps that allow pharmacists and technicians to obtain replacement contracts directly from a pharmacy.

Adapting to young people

But it’s not just a question of salary. “Quality of life matters to employees,” says Philippe Leng, head pharmacist of a Jean Coutu branch in Sherbrooke.

And this is particularly true for young people. To attract them, its pharmacy – which is currently expanding – has recently set up a rest area for staff with around twenty armchairs and USB sockets. The kitchen is now four times larger than before.

According to Philippe Leng, the reduction in opening hours also “helps” with staff retention. “People, instead of finishing at 9 p.m., they finish at 8 p.m., so they can still enjoy their evening. »

The president of the Order of Pharmacists of Quebec, Jean-François Desgagnés, believes that pharmacies must “adapt” to these new realities. But several ideas must be put on the table to overcome the labor problem (see following text).

“Unfortunately, it’s not like a frozen meal in the microwave and your problem is solved.” »