Filling a need: More area pharmacists wanted soon

Aging population fuels demand for more drugs

As Americans age, they will need their prescription drugs. But will there be enough pharmacists to help them? The U.S. Department of Labor predicts that employment of pharmacists is expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations through 2014 and that the increasing numbers of middle-aged and elderly people — who use more prescription drugs than younger people — will continue to spur demand for pharmacists.

Pharmacist Jim Ray works on filling a prescription Wednesday for a Unity Hospice patient inside the main pharmacy at St. Vincent Hospital in Green Bay. Evan Siegle/Press-Gazette

The National Association for Chain Drug Stores — which had 36,231 members in 2006 — said there were 4,044 open pharmacy positions in July 2006. The association said 136,773 community pharmacists were employed in 2004 and 147,378 will be needed by 2010.

Locally, pharmacist staffing remains stable. However, those in charge of hiring pharmacists know it will be a challenge in the future as baby boomers retire and more prescriptions need filling.

Tiffani Bruce, a spokeswoman for Walgreens, which has four pharmacies in Green Bay, one each in De Pere, Ashwaubenon and Howard and one is planned for Bellevue — said there isn't a significant shortage of pharmacists in the area, but there is a need for more.

Some pharmacists are looking at retirement and others at taking leaves of absence, she said.

"We've been heavily recruiting," she said, "and we continue to do so."

In fact, she said, the chain is offering "pretty nice bonuses" for pharmacists to work in the Green Bay, Appleton and Oshkosh areas.

"We want to make sure we have plenty of coverage in our pharmacies at all times," she said.

Also in the works are plans to have another 24-hour pharmacy in the Green Bay area, she said. It currently has one at 1401 E. Mason St.

Walgreens offers overnight pharmacists a schedule of seven nights on and seven nights off.

"For some, that's attractive," she said.

Walgreens, she said, opens a new store every 19 hours in its quest to increase the number of stores from 5,611 as of Thursday to 7,000 by 2010.

That can't happen if they don't have the pharmacists, she said.

Little turnover

St. Vincent Hospital, Green Bay, has very little turnover in its pharmacist staff of 21, 15 of whom are full time employees, said Jean Marsch, director of human resources.

"Actually, we've been very fortunate," she said. "We've not had trouble filling positions."

But that could change.

"If we do have an opening, that could be one of our more difficult positions to fill," she said.

St. Vincent's pharmacy is open all the time. Satellite pharmacies by its pediatrics, oncology and intensive care units are open weekdays so doctors and nurses can easily confer with pharmacists while making their rounds. Pharmacists, she said, work with nurses and doctors as integral parts of health-care teams.

"They have the deep knowledge of the medications needed. When there are questions, they are the experts and you have to recognize that," she said.

When hiring pharmacists, she said, the needs of the hospital and pharmacists must be considered.

For instance, someone must work the overnight hours. That isn't always a popular shift.

"It's important to find people who like the night shift," Marsch said. "Some people do."

The hospital also has full- and part-time options, which help it meet individuals' scheduling needs.

"That seems to be a nice balance we can strike because some companies aren't able to do that."

Stable staff

Trent Zeitler, pharmacist and partner at Streu's Pharmacy, an independent pharmacy, 635 Main St., Green Bay, said his business has had a stable group of six full-time pharmacists and three who work several hours per week for the past several years.

He anticipates, however, that in the next five years, the pharmacy will need an additional two pharmacists as a result of increased business from aging baby boomers and increased number of medicines now used.

Zeitler said the pharmacy participates with the University of Wisconsin School of Pharmacy in a clinical program in which students work there for eight-week stints.

"They serve as pharmacists, and while they're here, they really see what it is like."

Zeitler anticipates when the time comes to hire a pharmacist, they will likely try to recruit from someone in that program.

"You get to know someone pretty well over that eight-week period of time," he said.

Zeitler said the pharmacy is considering entering a year-long residency program with the UW School of Pharmacy, which has indicated in the past that Streu's would be a good place to start such a program.

"We just need to follow up to find out what it would take to do that," he said.

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