The Newfoundland and Labrador government has turned down hospital-based pharmacists' requests for greater pay, even though professionals have been leaving for higher pay elsewhere and competitions for some vacancies have drawn no applicants.

Finance Minister Loyola Sullivan said the government does not currently have the resources to make hospital pharmacists' salaries competitive with rates in other provinces.

Sharon King says she does not accept government explanations that money cannot be found to raise pharmacists' salaries.
(CBC)

"All different groups are coming to us, indicating that their case is unique and that there [are], you know, pressures and challenges in recruitment and retention," Sullivan told CBC News.

"It's difficult for government to do a one-off."

Pharmacists, represented by the Association of Allied Health Professionals, this fall undertook a three-week campaign to attract the government's — and the public's — attention.

The campaign included limiting the number of chemotherapy cocktails pharmacists would agree to prepare within an hour.

Sharon King, executive director of the Allied Health Professionals, said government's refusal to negotiate an increase will mean even more pharmacists will be leaving hospitals to work in private pharmacies or for other provinces.

"I think there'll be a silent exodus of pharmacists, once the word is out," King said.

"It's unfortunate that they can't find a million dollars to correct this problem," King told CBC News Thursday. She pointed out that government last month found $15 million to support a private fibre optic network.

"To say there's no money — I think they need to readjust their priorities," she said.

Pharmacists say job vacancies are already at an unsustainable level, creating extra work and forced overtime for those in the system.

A report obtained by CBC News that had been done for the province's health boards recommended bringing salaries up to the average in Atlantic Canada, as well as offering incentives to recruit new pharmacists.

In the six months since the report was tendered, hospitals have been losing pharmacists at the rate of one every six weeks.

King said the only staff pharmacist working in the hospital in Clarenville has decided to leave.

Sullivan gave his response to the pharmacists in a brief meeting Wednesday.

Sullivan, who is scheduled to give a fiscal update Thursday afternoon that is expected to show the province is running a current account deficit, said the government cannot afford to deal with the pharmacists' issues this year.

However, he committed to review salaries next year.