| Background. We surveyed Memorial pharmacy graduates to determine attrition rate, and proportions of graduates working in pharmacy in Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) and wanting to leave NL or return to NL.Results. Of the 466 surveys mailed, 300 were returned, for a response rate of 64.4%. Of the 300 respondents, 96.7% were working in pharmacy. Over two-thirds (70.3%) were in NL, and most of those working outside NL were in Canada. Pharmacy graduates originally from NL (OR= 32.84 95%CI: 10.63--101.53) and with lower incomes (OR=7.06 95%CI 2.40--20.77) were more likely to work in NL than graduates who worked elsewhere. Among graduates in NL, 11.8% were considering leaving NL while 20.9% of graduates working outside NL considered returning. For both groups, level of remuneration was the most frequently reported important factor for leaving or returning to NL.Interpretation. Over two thirds of Memorial pharmacy graduates worked in NL in 2008. Increasing the number of seats for local students and improving remuneration for pharmacists may increase provincial retention of locally trained pharmacists.Methods. We surveyed pharmacists graduating between 1990 and 2007 from Memorial University School of Pharmacy and collected demographic and job characteristics, importance of factors for current job choice, and consideration of relocation to NL or out of NL. |
