Pharmacist assistants still waiting to hear about job prospects

Disgruntled unemployed pharmacist assistants have still not heard from the provincial health department about their job prospects.

Two weeks ago they picketed at the health department headquarters in Bhisho, submitting a memorandum of demands after having been promised jobs.

They gave the department 30 days to come up with practical solutions to their problems.

More than 20 qualified pharmacist assistants reported they had been chased away by security, and there were threats of calling the police to escort them off the premises.

East London pharmacist assistant Ntombifuthi Joya was trained by the department, graduated in October and had been seeking a job ever since.

She said the department had promised them employment when they completed the programme.

“We are post-basic pharmacist assistants who qualify to work in local clinics. There is a need for qualified pharmacists in the clinics’ dispensaries.

“We do not believe medication should be disbursed in clinics by people who are not qualified.

“Nurses are not trained to be in the dispensary. There are cases when patients are given incorrect medication or expired medication.”

The department offered them the training programme as there was a shortage of pharmaceutical officials.

“Now that we have completed the programme and graduated, it seems it is difficult for the department to create job opportunities.”

Another pharmacist assistant, who wished to remain anonymous, said a reported 60 vacancies had not been filled, with Buffalo City Metro and Nelson Mandela Bay Metro tending to be left out.

“Clinics in BCM do not have pharmacist assistants — it is the nurses who deal with the dispensary, and that is wrong.”

In their memorandum, the assistants said due to the increase in prescription drug use, the ageing population and other health needs in the country, there were not

Clinics in BCM do not have pharmacist assistants it is the nurses who deal with the dispensary, and that is wrong

enough pharmacists to fill current needs.

They demanded:

● The permanent and immediate employment of all qualified assistant pharmacists in the province;

● A halt in the freezing of posts; and

● The health department should absorb and upgrade the positions and salary scales of community healthcare workers who were trained and qualified as pharmacist assistants.

Health department spokesperson Yonela Dekeda said there were no provisions for “absorption” into permanent positions.

“The recruitment and selection of prospective employees into permanent posts is based on a policy which itself is based on collective agreements,” she said.

A number of service providers provided training to become qualified post-basic pharmacy assistants, and people had an opportunity to register themselves and obtain the qualification.

“This means the department is unable to provide for numbers of non-employed post-basic pharmacy assistants.

“During the 2022-2023 fiscus, the department recruited 60 post-basic pharmacy assistants through the approved annual recruitment plan,” Dekeda said.