Pharmacists - General Information

  • Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Bureau of Health Professions. December 2000. The Pharmacist Workforce: A Study of the Supply and Demand for Pharmacists. [Online, assessed 11/20/06.]

Available: ftp://ftp.hrsa.gov/bhpr/nationalcenter/pharmacy/pharmstudy.pdf
“The evidence [documented in the report] clearly indicates the emergence of a shortage of pharmacists over the past two years. This shortage is considered a dynamic shortage since it appears to be due to a rapid increase in the demand for pharmacists coupled with a constrained ability to increase the supply of pharmacists. The factors causing the current shortage are of a nature not likely to abate in the near future without fundamental changes in pharmacy practice and education.”

  • Gershon, S. K., J. M. Cultice, and K. K. Knapp. November/December 2000. How many pharmacists are in our future? The Bureau of Health Professions Projects Supply to 2020. Journal of the American Pharmaceutical Association 40 (6): 757–64.

The objective of this article was “to describe a Bureau of Health Professions model for estimating the numbers and selected demographic characteristics of active pharmacists in the United States and to relate the model's findings.”

  • Knapp, David A. 2002. Professionally Determined Need for Pharmacy Services in 2020. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education 66: 421–29.

Available: http://www.ajpe.org/legacy/pdfs/aj660414.pdf
“Two dozen experts in the procession of pharmacy met for three days to discuss drug-related health care problems in the population and system failures in the delivery of pharmaceutical care services. They considered changes in the demographics of the population, drug use trends, advances in information technology, the evolution of drug therapy, and the direction of health care organization and financing. Estimates were made of the need for pharmacists in medication order fulfillment, primary patient care, secondary and tertiary care, and non patient care areas.”

  • Knapp, Katherine K., Ryan M. Quist, Surrey M. Walton, and Laura M. Miller. 2005. Update on the pharmacist shortage: National and State Data through 2003. American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy 62 (5): 498–99.

In this article, “Aggregate Demand Index (ADI) survey results were used to describe the severity of the pharmacist shortage at the national and state levels and by practice site and impact on the U.S. population.”

  • Knapp, K. K., F. G. Paavola, L. L. Maine, and B. Sorofman. March/April 1999. Availability of primary care providers and pharmacists in the United States. Journal of the American Pharmaceutical Association 39 (2): 122–35.

The objective of this study was “to determine the rural distribution of primary care providers (primary care physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and nurse midwives) and pharmacists.”

  • Michigan Department of Community Health, Survey of Pharmacists 2005. Prepared by Public Sector Consultants, 2005.

“Public Sector Consultants Inc. (PSC) conducted a survey of licensed pharmacist in 2005 to gather information about their employment characteristics, education, and work environment.”

  • Mott, David A., Bernard A. Sorofman, David H. Kreling, Jon C. Schommer, et al. 2001. A Four-State Summary of the Pharmacy Workforce. Journal of the American Pharmaceutical Association 41(5):693–702.

The objectives of this study were “to create a profile of licensed pharmacists in terms of workforce variables in four states in the Midwest region of the United States and to compare profiles of male and female licensed pharmacist to examine difference in workforce variables by gender.”

  • U.S. Department Bureau of Labor Statistics, Office of Occupational Statistics and Employment Projections. 2006–07. Pharmacists. Washington, DC: Occupational Outlook Handbook. [Online, accessed 11/20/06/]

Available: http://www.bls.gov/oco/pdf/ocos079.pdf
“Significant points: 
- Very good employment opportunities are expected for pharmacists.
- Earnings are high, but some pharmacists work long hours, nights, weekends, and holidays.
- Pharmacists are becoming more involved in making decisions regarding drug therapy and in counseling patients.
- A license is required; the prospective pharmacist must graduate from an accredited college of pharmacy and pass a state examination.”

  • Walton, Surrey M., Judith A. Cooksey, Katherine K. Knapp, Ryan M. Quist, et al. November/December 2004. Analysis of pharmacist and pharmacist-extender workforce in 1998–2000: assessing predictors and differences across states. Journal of the American Pharmacist Association 44 (6): 673–83.

The objective of this study was “to examine the impact of supply and demand factors on filled positions for pharmacists and pharmacist extenders (pharmacist technicians and aides) and assess differences across states through analysis of state-level pharmacist labor market data.”