"Bill of Health"-Pharmacist Shortage
Thursday, March 27, 2008PAUL KANGAS: One place where the U.S. economy has too many jobs and not enough applicants, is in pharmacies. Because there's a shortage of pharmacists, many are overworked from putting in long hours. In tonight's "Bill of Health," Jeff Yastine looks at what's causing the problem and what's being done to solve it.
JEFF YASTINE, NIGHTLY BUSINESS REPORT CORRESPONDENT: Say the word pharmacist and this is the image which usually comes to mind -- a man or a woman, counting out pills, filling prescriptions. Increasingly, pharmacists are also expected to come out from behind the counter, advising patients on their prescriptions, alternatives and drug interactions. With pharmacies open 24 hours a day and a huge population of baby boomers consuming larger amounts of prescription drugs, it adds up to an industry that cannot find enough pharmacists to go around.
BRUCE ROBERTS, CEO, NATIONAL COMMUNITY PHARMACISTS ASSN.: Pharmacy is changing. It's going through an evolution, from being solely the purveyor of a commodity -- the prescription drugs themselves and really moving more to caregivers. And obviously, that creates a bit of a challenge, because the prescription drugs need to be filled and that process needs to take place.
YASTINE: That means students who pursue a career as pharmacists are seeing a buyers' market for their services. Doctor Andre Malave, dean of the pharmacy school at Nova Southeastern University, says the trend has its positives and negatives.
DR. ANDRES MALAVE, DEAN, NSU COLLEGE OF PHARMACY: From the students' standpoint -- and our students know that, when they graduate, they have a job. In fact, they have a job even before they graduate. It's not that they can practice as a pharmacist, but they know they have been offered already a job. So that's one of the positive side. On the negative side is the pressure put on the schools to really come up with the number of pharmacists that are needed in the future.
YASTINE: By some estimates, the U.S. would need more than 150,000 new pharmacists by 2020 to match supply with industry demand. Students like Kirk Latibeaudiere say these are exciting times for pharmacy grads.
KIRK LATIBEAUDIERE, PHARMACY STUDENT: There are so many different directions that we can go as pharmacists. We're no longer pigeonholed to being behind the counter. We're doing things that no pharmacist has ever done before and that by itself is.
YASTINE: Experts say the pharmacist shortage will continue for at least a decade or more. In the meantime, at least 15 new pharmacy schools are expected to open their doors by 2010, even as existing schools expand in size. Healthcare groups are automating tasks now done by hand and offering additional incentives to existing workers -- all part of the effort to stretch the nation's limited supply of pharmacists. Jeff Yastine, NIGHTLY BUSINESS REPORT, "Bill of Health."
