Utilising Brand and Social Media to Draw Interest in Hospital Based Pharmacy
There is currently an enormous challenge surrounding the attraction of pharmacy workers to hospital based teams.
With a lowering number of Registered Pharmacists in the UK, and only 3,000 students choosing to enrol in Pharmacy degrees at UK universities per year, this ever increasing struggle means that NHS Pharmacy teams must do all they can to attract current pharmacy workers back from community working, and inspire the future generation to take a leap into this esteemed career path.
In the last 12 months, Just R teamed up with two Pharmacy teams based in the North West and Wales to increase their public profile and attract candidates to their teams.
Challenge
- Potential staff not knowing the benefits of being employed by the NHS i.e. potential pay grades, pension and holiday packages
- Lack of excitement around hospital based work for pharmacists
- Lack of understanding of opportunities for growth, development and support
- Largely unknown possibilities for entry level staff to work in pharmacy and develop
- Huge competition from community and privately owned pharmacies which offer more flexibility and higher pay, but less variety, professional development and patient intervention
Just R’s Solution
- Building Employer Brands which communicate said benefits and opportunities
- Showcase and celebrate the stories of existing staff
- High-impact digital marketing campaign to promote hospital based work as an exciting and opportunity filled career path
- Promote particular USP’s of hospital based pharmacy work tailored to each Trust team
Results
Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board, 13 month campaign
- 155 enquiries of interest
- 11 Registered Pharmacists
- 3 Pre Reg Pharmacists
- 7 Student Pharmacists
- 17 Pharmacy Technicians
- 19 Pharmacy Dispensers
- 12 Pharmacy Assistants & 32 interested/new to care
- Offers made to 8 professionals and a pipeline of future talent
Warrington and Halton Hospitals, 5 month campaign
- 56 enquiries of interest
- 2 Registered Pharmacists
- 2 Pre Reg Pharmacists
- 2 Student Pharmacists
- 4 Pharmacy Technicians
- 9 Pharmacy Dispensers
- 5 Pharmacy Assistants & 32 interested/new to care
- Offers made to 5 professionals and a pipeline of future talent
Conclusion
It’s going to take a lot of work to inspire the future generation of pharmacists and pharmacy workers to join the profession, and even more so to join hospital teams that are already stretched.
Employer Brand and positioning Trust teams as an employer of choice is of the utmost importance, and ensuring they stand out from the competition which is an increasingly difficult task.
Shouting about NHS benefits, team culture, patient impact and professional development opportunities are all things that will increase not only the attractiveness of hospital based work for existing pharmacy workers, but also, inspire the future generation of pharmacists across the country.
Enquiries of Interest Across Both Campaigns
Offers Made Across Both Campaigns
