Archive \ Volume.16 2025 Issue 3

Understanding the Factors Influencing the Rural Pharmacy Workforce: Enablers and Barriers for Employers and Employees – A Critical Literature Review (2002–2022)

,
  1. Melbourne Social Equity Institute, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3053, Australia.

Abstract

The unequal distribution of pharmacists across regional and rural areas in Australia mirrors trends seen in other health professions. This narrative review sought to explore the factors that facilitate or hinder recruitment and retention of pharmacy staff, with a particular focus on the perspectives of potential employers. A systematic search was conducted for peer-reviewed, English-language studies published between 2002 and 2022. Search terms included ‘rural’, ‘remote’, ‘pharmacy’, ‘pharmacist’, ‘employer’, ‘manager’, ‘workforce’, and ‘practice’. Databases searched included MEDLINE/EBSCOhost, PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect, and DOAJ, with pharmacy-specific filters applied. Identified themes were extracted, tabulated, and analyzed. Numerous themes emerged, with most studies emphasizing the perspectives of employees rather than those of employers. Among the 12 studies reviewed, the most frequently reported factors were ‘rural background or origin/initial training’, ‘professional collaboration with other health professionals’, and ‘lifestyle considerations, including housing affordability and living costs’. Some previously strong predictors, such as ‘rural origin’, appeared less consistently. Evidence indicates that positive experiences during rural placements and early employment after graduation can have a meaningful impact on workforce retention. Both employees and employers consistently valued a few factors. Overall, the literature remains heavily weighted toward employee perspectives, with limited insight into employer experiences. Further primary research is warranted to focus on employer challenges and the incentives they use to attract pharmacists to rural and regional areas.


Downloads: 23
Views: 101

How to cite:
Vancouver
Leadbeatter D, Yao D. Understanding the Factors Influencing the Rural Pharmacy Workforce: Enablers and Barriers for Employers and Employees – A Critical Literature Review (2002–2022). Arch Pharm Pract. 2025;16(3):29-34. https://doi.org/10.51847/30MZ8mIvkt
APA
Leadbeatter, D., & Yao, D. (2025). Understanding the Factors Influencing the Rural Pharmacy Workforce: Enablers and Barriers for Employers and Employees – A Critical Literature Review (2002–2022). Archives of Pharmacy Practice, 16(3), 29-34. https://doi.org/10.51847/30MZ8mIvkt

Download Citation
References
  1. Coome A, Gillespie B. NAPSA investigates barriers to rural pharmacy. Aust Pharmacist. 2011;30(5):359.
  2. Luke J. Going bush: rewards of rural pharmacy. Aust Pharmacist. 2017;36(11):26–30.
  3. Hays CA, Taylor SM, Glass BD. The rural pharmacy practice landscape: challenges and motivators. J Multidiscip Healthc. 2019;13:227–34.
  4. Drovandi A, Woolley T. Workforce supply of pharmacists in Queensland communities from James Cook University pharmacy graduates. Aust J Rural Health. 2020;28(5):462–8.
  5. Martin SL, Baker RP, Piper BJ. Evaluation of urban-rural differences in pharmacy practice needs in Maine with the MaPPNA. Pharm Pract. 2015;13(4):1–8.
  6. Moran A, Nancarrow S, Cosgrave C, Griffith A, Memery R. What works, why and how? A scoping review and logic model of rural clinical placements for allied health students. BMC Health Serv Res. 2020;20(1):866.
  7. Kiser S, Ramsaur E, Williams CR. Impact of a regional campus on the placements of students at rural pharmacy experiential sites. Pharmacy. 2021;9(4):195.
  8. Peterson GM, Fitzmaurice KD, Rasiah RL, Kruup H. Marketing of rural and remote pharmacy practice via the digital medium. J Clin Pharm Ther. 2010;35(4):409–14.
  9. Playford D, Moran MC, Thompson S. Factors associated with rural work for nursing and allied health graduates 15–17 years after an undergraduate rural placement through the University Department of Rural Health program. Rural Remote Health. 2020;20(1):5334.
  10. Harding A, Whitehead P, Aslani P, Chen T. Factors affecting the recruitment and retention of pharmacists to practice sites in rural and remote areas of New South Wales: a qualitative study. Aust J Rural Health. 2006;14(5):214–8.
  11. Howarth HD, Peterson GM, Jackson SL. Does rural and urban community pharmacy practice differ? A narrative systematic review. Int J Pharm Pract. 2020;28(1):3-12.
  12. Playford D, Larson A, Wheatland B. Going country: rural student placement factors associated with future rural employment in nursing and allied health. Aust J Rural Health. 2006;14(1):14–9.
  13. Sutton K, Depczynski J, Smith T, Mitchell E, Wakely L, Brown LJ, et al. Destinations of nursing and allied health graduates from two Australian universities: a data linkage study to inform rural placement models. Aust J Rural Health. 2021;29(2):191–200.
  14. Tricco AC, Lillie E, Zarin W, O’Brien KK, Colquhoun H, Levac D, et al. PRISMA extension for scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR): checklist and explanation. Ann Intern Med. 2018;169(7):467–73.
  15. National Library of Medicine (NLA). MeSH. Bethesda: NLA; 2022. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/. Accessed 2022 Jun 1.
  16. Baumann N. How to use the medical subject headings (MeSH). Int J Clin Pract. 2016;70(2):171–4.
  17. Versace VL, Skinner TC, Bourke L, Harvey P, Barnett T. National analysis of the modified Monash model, population distribution and a socio-economic index to inform rural health workforce planning. Aust J Rural Health. 2021;29(5):801–10.
  18. Byrne D. A worked example of Braun and Clarke’s approach to reflexive thematic analysis. Qual Quant. 2022;56(3):1391-412.
  19. Braun V, Clarke V, Rance N. How to use thematic analysis with interview data. In: Vossler A, Moller N, eds. The counselling and psychotherapy research handbook. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications Ltd; 2015.
  20. Wibowo Y, Berbatis CG, Joyce A, Sunderland VB. Comparative analysis of rural community pharmacy practice in Western Australia in 2002 and 2006. J Pharm Pract Res. 2012;42(1):26–9.
  21. Thrasher K, O’Connor SK, Joyner PU. Rural health in pharmacy curricula. Am J Pharm Educ. 2012;76(9):1–8.
  22. Kirschbaum M, Khalil H, Talyor S, Page AT. Pharmacy students’ rural career intentions: perspectives on rural background and placements. Curr Pharm Teach Learn. 2016;8(5):615–21.
  23. Ulrich E, Hurdelbrink J, Perepelkin J, Welter K. Financial incentive required for pharmacy students to accept a post-graduation position in rural and undesirable pharmacy settings. Pharmacy. 2019;7(3):109.
  24. Smith JD, Luetsch K, White C, Roufeil L, Battye K, Lisa P. What does the rural pharmacist workforce look like? Aust J Pharm. 2011;30(12):1037–9.
  25. Soliman SR, Macdowell M, Schriever AE, Glasser M, Schoen MD. An interprofessional rural health education program. Am J Pharm Educ. 2012;76(10):199.
  26. Khalil H, Leversha A, Walker J. Evaluation of pharmacy students’ rural placement program: preparation for interprofessional practice. Aust Health Rev. 2015;39(1):85–8.
  27. Taylor SM, Lindsay D, Glass BD. Rural pharmacy workforce: influence of curriculum and clinical placement on pharmacists’ choice of rural practice. Aust J Rural Health. 2019;27(2):132–8.
  28. Fleming CA, Spark MJ. Factors influencing the selection of rural practice locations for early career pharmacists in Victoria. Aust J Rural Health. 2011;19(16):290–7.
  29. Terry D, Phan H, Peck B, Hills D, Kirschbaum M, Bishop J, et al. Factors contributing to the recruitment and retention of rural pharmacist workforce: a systematic review. BMC Health Serv Res. 2021;21(1):1052.
  30. Health Workforce Australia (HWA). Australia’s health workforce series: pharmacists in focus. Adelaide: HWA; 2014.
  31. Australian Institute of Health Welfare (AIHW). Australia’s welfare 2017. Australia’s welfare series no. 13. AUS 214. Canberra: AIHW; 2017.
  32. Liandi Z. Analysis and implementation of key technologies of E-commerce talents online recruitment platform. In: Guerrero J, ed. 2020 13th International Conference on Intelligent Computation Technology and Automation (ICICTA). Xi’an: IEEE; 2021.
  33. Anzenberger P, Popov SB, Ostermann H. Factors that motivate young pharmacists to work in rural communities in the Ukraine. Rural Remote Health. 2011;11(4):1509.
  34. Braun V, Clarke V. Successful qualitative research: a practical guide for beginners. London: SAGE Publications; 2013.

 

 

 


Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.