Public-sector pharmacists will stop work for two hours tomorrow in what their union says is the first strike by ACT government pharmacists in recent history.

Pharmacists at Canberra Hospital, North Canberra Hospital and Digital Canberra will strike from 10am to noon as negotiations over a new pay agreement continue.

Professionals Australia says negotiations have been under way for more than 12 months, with pharmacists taking other forms of protected industrial action since June 29.

The union says the government has offered pay rises of 1.5 per cent at six-month intervals over three years, which it argues would leave pharmacists worse off against inflation.

Pharmacist Elise Griffiths said staffing shortages were already forcing pharmacists to make difficult decisions about which patients to prioritise.

“We regularly don’t have enough staff to be able to support all areas and need to make hard decisions about which patients to prioritise seeing,” she said.

“We are worried it’s only going to become more challenging moving forward if we don’t have pay parity to attract and retain skilled pharmacists within our healthcare system.”

The union says community pharmacists in the ACT received a 4.75 per cent increase earlier this year, while NSW public hospital pharmacists received 4 per cent and Victorian public hospital pharmacists secured increases totalling 28 per cent over 3.5 years.

Urgent patient care will continue during the two-hour stoppage, with staffing arrangements put in place, although the union has warned non-urgent care could be delayed.

Striking pharmacists will hold a protest outside the main entrance of Canberra Hospital in Garran from 10.45am tomorrow.

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