Introduction
Currently, 54% of the pharmacy workforce is female [1]. Female pharmacists tend to be employed in lower status and lower paid positions within community pharmacy [2]. In particular, female community pharmacists are less likely to be managers and proprietors and are more likely to be employed by chain store pharmacies [3]. Anecdotal evidence suggests that, in general, pharmacists are dissatisfied with levels of remuneration. One American study suggests that women are less influenced by levels of pay than men [4]. Studies suggest that female pharmacists are more satisfied with their job than their male counterparts [5]. This abstract considers findings on perceptions of levels of pay from a study exploring factors that influence working practices in female pharmacists over the age of 30.

Method
Multi-centre research council approval was obtained for this study. The Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain permitted the researcher to use registration and census data to identify the sample. Twelve Primary Care Trusts in the North West of England were selected as a sampling frame to provide as diverse a range of respondents as possible. Recruitment letters (n=242) describing the study were sent with consent forms and free-post envelopes to all female community pharmacists over the age of 30 resident in the selected PCTs. A reminder letter was sent to none responders two weeks later and a further reminder was published in the Pharmaceutical Journal two weeks later. Face to face interviews were conducted with consenting respondents at their convenience. The interview schedule was designed to explored interviewees': motivation for choosing pharmacy; employment history and motivation for choosing particular pattern of working.

Results
Ninety-six respondents returned completed consent forms, (response rate = 40%). Interviews (n=30) were conducted between February and June 2005. Interviews on average lasted 61 minutes (range: 37 to 88 minutes). Some interviewees, particularly those who were locums or received additional payments for weekend working, considered that community pharmacy paid adequately. Conversely, some interviewees considered that the levels of pay in pharmacy were inadequate. Older interviewees reported that pay levels had declined relative to other professions over recent years. Several respondents commented that this was due to the influx of women into the profession. Some indicated that their rate of pay had not changed for a number of years. Interviewees most commonly considered dentists and opticians to be equivalent professions and perceived? that these professions were more highly remunerated. A particular issue was the disparity between hourly rates for pharmacists and "tradesmen"; plumbers being the most frequently cited. Some interviewees with dependant children said that childcare costs discouraged them from working. Some interviewees noted that community pharmacy provided a good starting salary, but the lack of career structure meant that pay was unlikely to increase. Some interviewees were particularly dissatisfied that rates of pay were higher for locums and that additional training/service provision went unrewarded.

Conclusion
Interviewees were divided on the issue of pay levels; and the range of negative comments suggest levels of dissatisfaction may run high in this sector.