The Pharmacists’ Defence Association has urged black and minority ethnic pharmacy staff and women who feel they are being unfairly paid less and treated worse than their white, male counterparts to contact it after a survey revealed pay gaps in the profession remain a big problem.

Research carried out by the PDA and Equality Trust found women earned less than men in nearly every role including pharmacist, pharmacist manager and general practice pharmacist. The only role in which women earned more on average was relief pharmacist and that was just 0.5 per cent higher. Six hundred people responded to the survey.

The median pay gap was highest among GP pharmacists (13 per cent) followed by lead pharmacists (11 per cent), pharmacist managers, superintendent pharmacists and clinical pharmacists (10 per cent), locums (eight per cent) and pharmacists and advanced clinical pharmacists (two per cent).

The PDA said hourly rates and hours worked were used to produce the results, which it said highlighted a “worrying trend".

Daniela Rusalim, vice-president of the PDA’s National Association of Women Pharmacists Network, said the “considerable pay gap in all pharmacy sectors” came as no surprise because employers are failing “to take enough measures to address the gender pay gap".

“This news comes against the backdrop of a worsening cost-of-living crisis which has the potential to further erode women’s financial situation,” she said.

The research also revealed pay discrepancies between white British and ethnic minority groups, with locums from BAME backgrounds earning 10 per cent less while BAME relief managers, clinical pharmacists and community pharmacists also earned less.

The president of the PDA’s BAME Network Elsy Gomez Campos said part-time pharmacy staff, particularly those from minority ethnic backgrounds, were being blacklisted, suffered delays in remuneration and receiving lower paid offers.

“The perception of non-permanent staff and the way they are treated is not a good look for our profession,” she said, describing those behaviours as “grossly unfair.”

“We need to make a conscious effort to improve the way we treat and remunerate some temporary pharmacy staff who are doing similar work to permanent staff. There is no justification for the difference in treatment.”

The study revealed part-time female lead pharmacists, clinical pharmacists and pharmacist managers earned less than males but part-time female community pharmacists, locums, GP pharmacists, pharmacists and advanced clinical pharmacists earned more.

The PDA urged the government to tackle the “root causes of inequality” by improving childcare provision, giving everyone access to flexible working, helping people with the cost-of-living crisis and ensuring employers pay employees fairly.

The union also warned women face barriers to securing senior roles in pharmacy, particularly those from BAME backgrounds, disabled women, and working mothers “who are unable to get the experience or, in some cases, study for the extra qualifications they need for promotion.”