Union members have been successful in negotiating an average 13.8% pay rise over three years for pharmacy staff employed by Epic Pharmacy Services in Qld, with some staff set to receive a pay increase of over 20% in the first year alone. The union representing pharmacists and technicians, Professional Pharmacists Australia’s (PPA) National Board Vice President, Bianca Piljic, who works at Epic Pharmacy Services, took part in the fight to improve pay and conditions for pharmacists and technicians for the group since 2017. “Epic Pharmacy made its mark by securing a number of private hospital contracts on the basis that it could help hospitals make larger profits by running the once in-house pharmacy department at a fraction of the cost,” Piljic said. “However, cutting costs came at a price, with staffing levels reduced, and wages & conditions wound back. “Outsourced pharmacists and technicians found themselves working next to new colleagues who were hired on wages that were in some cases 30% lower per hour.” Piljic added that in response, pharmacists and technicians organised their workplaces, fought for, and achieved, the very first Epic Pharmacy Services Enterprise Agreement in Australia in 2018. “Union members have gone from strength to strength since then and in 2023, through their commitment and efforts, three new enterprise agreements have been negotiated with Epic Pharmacy. “Our members successfully extended the number of pharmacists and technicians covered by the agreement by 50%, delivering better pay and better conditions for pharmacists and technicians in Qld. “Since 2017, we have successfully unionised the entire Qld private hospital pharmacy sector, with union-led negotiations at all major hospital pharmacy providers, including HPS, Epic Pharmacy Services/Icon Group, Ramsay and Mater Hospital. “This strategy has given every pharmacist and technician, in the state’s hospital pharmacy, the opportunity to continue to improve their pay and conditions, and lift the profession’s standing.” Union members also recently voted to take industrial action across Ramsay Health Care hospitals in the state as part of their enterprise agreement negotiations and have now negotiated an average 11% pay increase for 2023, with further pay increases to be determined. “Given the critical role they play in protecting community health, managing high workloads and experiencing significant stress, we don’t accept pharmacists and technicians being the lowest paid health workers in Australia,” said Piljic, urging more pharmacists and technicians to join PPA to improve pharmacy pay and conditions. JG