Pharmacist shortage

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mass

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With so many schools opening up, will the shortage eventually be seen out in 5 years time?
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Doubt it... With only 99 schools in the country (last time I checked) I just don't see it stopping anytime soon!
 
Most people agree that shortage is over or will be over. In some cities ie NYC, chains like CVS have more pharmacists than needed. In many professions right now, most people agree that new schools are not needed. Look at law schools, they have more lawyers than they need so a lot of lawyers are graduating with no jobs are being paralegals and law enforcement officers.

On the other hand, if you are good in what you do, you will always have a job.
 
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I agree. If you're good at it, you'll have a job and not the slacker who doesn't work.
 
Yep...same here in Florida, market got extremely saturated, no jobs in retail. I think chains will soon get rid of few pharmacists. I guess it is time to move out of Fla.
 
I heard there is 3 new schools opening in CA... yay.
 
Rust Belt, baby. I still could have my choice of a bazillion jobs if I so desired.

You want job security? Move to Detroit, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Syracuse.....etc. They are all victims of the deindustrialization of the US and the need for professionals to take care of those "stuck" is huge. Disproportionate amounts of old people like crazy....and in healthcare, old people are the biggest consumers of healthcare services.

Want even more job security? Move an hour or so outside of one of the above towns. I'm working at a ruralish hospital that's about an hour away from Pittsburgh and they are so in need of help that I don't think they would fire me if I got caught out in the loading dock with a pickup truck trying to steal a CT scanner.
 
the pharmacist shortage is not over...it has been around for 30+ years...you may not get a store and have to float...but you will have a job. I live in a big city with a pharmacy school and cvs emails everyday for a pharmacist...hospital will be a different story
 
what about clinical pharmacists and their position?
 
WVUPharm2007 said:
Rust Belt, baby. I don't think they would fire me if I got caught out in the loading dock with a pickup truck trying to steal a CT scanner.
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I am trying to picture that scene:laugh::laugh:
 
We keep some crappy pharmacists on staff just to have a body behind the counter. WVU is right - you have to try pretty hard to get fired in this environment. There may be other markets that are saturated, but the mid-west certainly isn't one of them.
 
I get at least one mailing or call each week from someone looking for a pharmacist--hospital, chain, independent, I can't think of anyone place in my area that isn't hiring. The shortage isn't going to disappear overnight, esp in the "less desirable" areas such as the midwest.
 
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BidingMyTime said:
I get at least one mailing or call each week from someone looking for a pharmacist--hospital, chain, independent, I can't think of anyone place in my area that isn't hiring. The shortage isn't going to disappear overnight, esp in the "less desirable" areas such as the midwest.
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I live in the midwest and I love the area. I had no idea that the shortage in the midwest was bad. When I checked the Pharmacy Manpower Project website, the midwest seemed like the area least in need of pharmacists.
 
Sorry to go OT, but is that you in your avatar the112? You look like Paul Walker. :O
 
the112 said:
3 schools, where? I am from CA but going to college in TX. Go Longhorns!
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Well 3 including Northstate which is opening this fall anyway.. the other two I forget but that is what our professor said, I forget where though :X and how far along they are
 
BidingMyTime said:
I get at least one mailing or call each week from someone looking for a pharmacist--hospital, chain, independent, I can't think of anyone place in my area that isn't hiring. The shortage isn't going to disappear overnight, esp in the "less desirable" areas such as the midwest.
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are you speaking in generalities about the midwest or states in particular? I got lots of family in iowa, illinois and minnesota, might be worthwhile to move out there after school. Though that humidity in the summer and the cold winters are rough i hear.
 
Avelox said:
Well 3 including Northstate which is opening this fall anyway.. the other two I forget but that is what our professor said, I forget where though :X and how far along they are
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Sweet, thanks! My ultimate goal is to get into UCSD! After that, any pharmacy school is fine!:thumbup:
 
the112 said:
Sweet, thanks! My ultimate goal is to get into UCSD! After that, any pharmacy school is fine!:thumbup:
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Oh ok :) ... good luck! UCSD from what I have heard is a great place to be and a lot of people want to go there. If that is your ultimate goal then I am sure you are/will be competitive enough to get into the other good schools in CA as well and will not even have to worry about the other newer ones :p .. I was just commenting though on the fact that all these new schools is gonna just saturate CA with pharmacists in like 10 years :/
 
medicalcpa said:
I live in the midwest and I love the area. I had no idea that the shortage in the midwest was bad. When I checked the Pharmacy Manpower Project website, the midwest seemed like the area least in need of pharmacists.
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That's because not the entire Midwest is in the Rust Belt. I'm talking this area:

rustbelt.jpg
 
I live in MN. When I first moved in 8 yrs ago from a hot hot place I thought I would never make it through winter:). Now, I became minnesotan, I wear a shirt when it is 0C/32F:eek:.
It is a very nice place especially to raise children. In fact the best american city for this year was from MN as well as other 11 where in the top 40.
Why don't you visit sometimes you might end up trapped
in here just like me, and I am loving it:love:
 
Avelox said:
Well 3 including Northstate which is opening this fall anyway.. the other two I forget but that is what our professor said, I forget where though :X and how far along they are
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I'm calling your bluff...3 more schools in California? Actually...that does seem to make sense, I have a feeling University of California's next project is going to be another pharmacy school now that UCSD is up and running (it'll probably go to UCI, UCR, or UCM...none of the other schools have physical room to grow).

That's only 2...where's #3?

If it's not an established university already...goodluck to them in recruiting, look at the rag tag faculty they put together @ Northstate.
 
Calling my bluff? I'm just stating what I heard from a professor a few days ago in my class .. and 1 of those 3 is Northstate so its really the other two schools which she said were gonna be opening in the next couple/few years. I think one of the ones she mentioned was UCDavis but again I may be mistaken on both UCDavis as well as if there really is 2 others opening or on how soon they will be built.

Personally I hope they do have a hard time recruiting and don't really wanna see 2 more schools (ontop of Northstate)
 
How is the shortage even calculated? I can't find any articles online that show this...they only acknowledge that there is a shortage.

Is there a system that gives us an ideal number of pharmacists that we actually need? Like 1 pharmacist for every 1,000 people? Or 1 pharmacist for every x number of prescriptions written? Or it probably isn't that simple...
 
norafena said:
I live in MN. When I first moved in 8 yrs ago from a hot hot place I thought I would never make it through winter:). Now, I became minnesotan, I wear a shirt when it is 0C/32F:eek:.
It is a very nice place especially to raise children. In fact the best american city for this year was from MN as well as other 11 where in the top 40.
Why don't you visit sometimes you might end up trapped
in here just like me, and I am loving it:love:
Click to expand...

Minnesota is on my list of possible relocation spots after school. I like Denver alright, just starting to think about a change. I like real winter, get a childish kick out of snow (which we oddly don't get enough of in Denver - sssh it's a secret :)). With the shortage, I can go almost anywhere (except California or Florida - but I'd never consider living in either of those places anyway).
 
Ohio, is that a place in shortage?
 
You edited your post too fast before I had a chance to quote you...hahah...I don't think they can pay me enough to live in those places (Cleveland, Youngtown, canton, etc), but Columbus is not too bad. I would consider that place. I don't know about shortages though, but I always see some job postings.
 
Allure said:
You edited your post too fast before I had a chance to quote you...hahah...I don't think they can pay me enough to live in those places (Cleveland, Youngtown, canton, etc), but Columbus is not too bad. I would consider that place. I don't know about shortages though, but I always see some job postings.
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Cleveland is cooler than Columbus. It has an interesting waterfront area....and a nicer Dave & Buster's....
 
twester said:
Minnesota is on my list of possible relocation spots after school. I like Denver alright, just starting to think about a change. I like real winter, get a childish kick out of snow (which we oddly don't get enough of in Denver - sssh it's a secret :)). With the shortage, I can go almost anywhere (except California or Florida - but I'd never consider living in either of those places anyway).
Click to expand...
You will love the Twin Cities..we have it all...nice suburbs, trendy cities, museums, green paths, lakes, rivers, bike trails, bright green grass, piles of snow, ethnic restaurants, ...and most importantly, smily people welcome to Minnesota nice!!
 
mass said:
Ohio, is that a place in shortage?
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The shortage is over, get over it. All of you need to drop out of school now and give up the dream, there will be NO jobs by the time you guys finish.
 
WVUPharm2007 said:
I guess I'll have to get a masters in athletic coaching education and become a football coach.
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Get out now, and head back to Parkersburg, where life is measured not in wins and losses, but in championships. Go be part of that, not this dying Druggist movement.
 
Priapism321 said:
The shortage is over, get over it. All of you need to drop out of school now and give up the dream, there will be NO jobs by the time you guys finish.
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whatever:D
 
Someone explain this to me. I was worried about the shortage "ending" as well until the BF explained it like this.

Nursing has a shortage. Right now I think it's at 400,000 unfilled positions compared to 10-20,000 in pharmacy?

Obviously, the nursing shortage isn't going anywhere. However, if you compare the ratio... pharmacy schools to nursing schools, isn't the shortage therefore comparable?

(100 schools for pharmacy, thousands upon thousands of schools for nursing AND a faster graduation rate.)

And our population will continue to increase in age.

So with that being said, are we really concerned that pharmacy jobs are going to be unavailable?

Yes, I know there are over-saturated markets... NYC... Getting a job in NYC is difficult in most fields.
 
It will be a very good job market for pharmacists for about the next 25 years. At that point things could get a little dicey, but just set yourself up so it won't be a problem. When you are making 6 figures from the age 24 on, you can really starting saving some money, making investments, etc. Most pharmacy schools are in city centers and then graduates end up staying there, the main shortage that has been talked about is in more rural areas. Not a problem for me because I want to go to a small town.
 
ALLNuclear said:
Someone explain this to me. I was worried about the shortage "ending" as well until the BF explained it like this.

Nursing has a shortage. Right now I think it's at 400,000 unfilled positions compared to 10-20,000 in pharmacy?

Obviously, the nursing shortage isn't going anywhere. However, if you compare the ratio... pharmacy schools to nursing schools, isn't the shortage therefore comparable?

(100 schools for pharmacy, thousands upon thousands of schools for nursing AND a faster graduation rate.)

And our population will continue to increase in age.

So with that being said, are we really concerned that pharmacy jobs are going to be unavailable?

Yes, I know there are over-saturated markets... NYC... Getting a job in NYC is difficult in most fields.
Click to expand...

I believe there are more than enough schools for both nursing and pharmacy. However, I believe there are more nurses leaving the profession than a pharmacist. They don't have six-figure debt and don't have to go to 6 years of school. In addition, they can easily leave bed-side nursing by pursuing Master.

10-20,000 of unfilled pharmacy position? For real? With 100 pharmacy school nationwide, more than 10,000 new grads can be produced per year. Assuming no one retired or leave pharmacy profession, the shortage can be eliminated in 2 years.
 
RNtoPharmD said:
I believe there are more than enough schools for both nursing and pharmacy. However, I believe there are more nurses leaving the profession than a pharmacist. They don't have six-figure debt and don't have to go to 6 years of school. In addition, they can easily leave bed-side nursing by pursuing Master.

10-20,000 of unfilled pharmacy position? For real? With 100 pharmacy school nationwide, more than 10,000 new grads can be produced per year. Assuming no one retired or leave pharmacy profession, the shortage can be eliminated in 2 years.
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Well... it's more complicated than that. The shortage is regional. Rural areas suffers from pharmacist shortage more than metro areas. Some metro areas don't have a shortage and they never did. Granted, there are shortages for pharmacist positions not many want, ie graveyard.

There may be 10,000 to 20,000 unfilled positions...but where are they and what kind of positions are they? Can we simply say those positions are generic pharmacist positions are or are they specialized positions.. ID pharmacist, Director of Pharmacy etc? Probably both.

I don't have a clue on long term prospect of retail pharmacy. As a pharmacist, it boggles my mind that retail pharmacist are paid as well as they do... I understand they work hard...then again, so do the technicians at a much lower salary.

I like to think Pharmacy as a product driven profession to some degree. But it will be the the product distribution process in conjuction with conitive process of providing pharmacy services that will survive the profession.

I know we're facing a critical shortage of pharmacy management leaders in our industry... Many DOPs are leaving and we haven't done a very good job of training young pharmacists to become managers.

Most of you guys know how I feel about retail pharmacy. But I got into pharmacy because I wanted to own a drug store. I still dream of owning a drug store... a small town drug store with a little breakfast cafe and lunch menu... with free coffee. And a bait shack. I'll be the old geezer hanging out with the locals...trading stories.
 
But no white coat.. but a golf shirt!
 
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