The Pharmacy Guild is calling for the Government to include pharmacists in its voluntary bonding scheme, saying the sector is struggling to retain staff in rural areas.
Under the scheme, newly qualified doctors, nurses and midwives work in areas that are hard to staff in exchange for payments to student loans after a three to five year bonded period.
The scheme was expanded in the 2012 Budget to include radiation therapists and medical physicists.
The guild says including pharmacists in the scheme would alleviate staff shortages in rural areas and improve access to health care.
