• Pharmacists are in second place in the list of professions where the rate of recruitment difficulties is the highest, according to a recent study by Pôle Emploi.
  • A phenomenon that has been accentuated with the health crisis, a trying period for health professionals that has also largely changed the relationship to work, we see in the sector.
  • While many pharmacies must organize themselves in the face of the shortage of candidates, the Order of Pharmacists believes that a work of reconquest is to be done with young people.

"The situation is horrible. There is a severe shortage of staff. Behind his counter at the museum pharmacy in the 3rd arrondissement of Paris, Alexandre Mylle seems desperate. The health professional, who took over this small pharmacy three years ago, is looking in vain for a new employee to replace his assistant who will leave next month. Despite a neat advertisement, posted repeatedly on various job sites for several months, applications are rare. "And I'm only dealing with unreliable people," laments the pharmacist. I don't know how I'm going to hold on, knowing that I already took a year to recruit the previous one. At that time, I had to work at least 70 hours a week... »

Across the France, pharmacies are facing a shortage of medicines, but also of staff, according to the number of ads marked "urgent" circulating on social networks. It must be said that according to a recent survey published by Pôle emploi, pharmacists are in second place in the list of professions where the rate of recruitment difficulties is the highest, behind roofers and zinc workers. "This was a trend that we were already seeing in rural areas, but it has clearly worsened," says Carine Wolf-Thal, president of the National Council of the Order of Pharmacists. The health crisis has been a very trying period for health professionals, including all pharmacy professions (pharmacy, biologist, hospital, etc.). As in other sectors, it has also largely changed the relationship to work. »

"Young people don't want to settle down anymore"

Insufficient number of candidates, inadequate profiles, working conditions... These are the main reasons often put forward by recruiters in France and who find themselves in the pharmacy, especially pharmacies, who are also traders. "The time slots are important with sometimes an opening on Saturday, we have to manage the difficulties of supply, the sometimes strong pressure of the patientèle, the problems of the neighborhood, the parking ... ", lists Dominique Moreau, manager for 20 years of the Arcane agency, specialized in pharmacy recruitment. He too has seen the situation deteriorate, while he currently receives a dozen new requests per week from employers in the PACA region. "The young people who invest in these long studies no longer want to settle down, lock themselves up," he continues. Rather than permanent contracts, temporary work is therefore much more promising at the moment, for its flexibility and freedom. »

Un moyen pour les rares candidats, forcément plus gourmands, d’être mieux rémunérés alors que l’épineuse question du salaire entre aussi en jeu. A Paris, Alexandre Mylle a bien failli trouver la bonne personne pour le poste, jusqu’à ce qu’il parle rémunération. « Elle sortait tout juste de la fac et me demandait un coefficient 750 [un salaire auquel un pharmacien peut prétendre après un certain nombre d’années d’expérience], mais moi, en tant que gérant d’une petite entreprise, je ne peux pas suivre, ce n’est pas possible ! » « C’est sûr que l’on ne peut pas faire des miracles… », observe Carine Wolf-Thal, alors que le salaire moyen d’un pharmacien adjoint est d’environ 3.500 euros net par mois.



Réduction des horaires

Face à la pénurie, qui touche aussi le métier de préparateur en pharmacie, les officines tentent donc de s’organiser. Fait rare il y a quelques années, elles sont de plus en plus nombreuses à réduire leurs horaires, fermer certains samedis, voire plusieurs semaines l’été à l’occasion des congés. Certaines font aussi le choix de se regrouper. Et alors que certains professionnels se sont reconvertis ou ont arrêté un peu plus tôt que prévu, l’ordre des pharmaciens estime qu’un réel travail de reconquête est à faire auprès des jeunes.

« Plus d’un millier de places à l’université sont vacantes, s’inquiète la présidente du Conseil national de l’Ordre des pharmaciens. La réforme des études de santé n’est pas très lisible, et il y a encore une méconnaissance sur notre métier. C’est dommage et paradoxal, car dans un contexte de déserts médicaux, il est parfois la porte d’entrée du système de santé. » Parmi les leviers, l’ordre aimerait également « faciliter l’embauche en France » des diplômés européens.

  • Société
  • Pharmacie
  • Santé
  • Métiers
  • Recrutement
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