Absenteeism from work has been estimated to cost the British economy in excess of £12 billion a year. Studies have shown that different industries suffer with absence rates that range from two per cent to five per cent of available work days lost. Unfortunately no research has been undertaken in the pharmacy sector, but we can confidently predict that a range of absence rates will be seen in different pharmacies.

Alongside the financial impact to a business, absent staff have an impact on team morale and the ability to effectively deliver the pharmacy service. The generally unpredictable nature of employees’ absence can make contingency planning to account for it almost impossible, especially for the relatively small teams found in individual community pharmacies.

Short-term illness, such as those one-off days taken to recover from cough or cold, are inevitable and all members of staff need to be prepared to cover for this eventuality, particularly in the winter months. In this situation it is helpful for all members of the team to fully understand each other’s roles so that essential areas of business can continue to run smoothly.

Surprisingly, long-term illnesses can be more straightforward to manage. A team member who needs to have an operation will often do so electively, so advance notice and an estimated convalescence time will be given. While a major illness or accident will not be expected, the period of absence will be more transparent in that the return will be planned. This type of situation will provide opportunity for temporary reorganisation of staff schedules to accommodate the absence.