Slew of articles about pharmacist shortage

There have recently been quite a few articles about pharmacist shortages, not only in the US, but all around the world. This growing trend (the shortage) gives rise to innovative pharmacy practicies, such as the use of telepharmacy.

From "University of Pittsburgh School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences Student Wins American Telemedicine Association 2007 Student Paper Award":

Remote areas often experience shortages of professionals and technical resources crucialto the delivery of services related to specialized medical fields.

From "From refugee to aspiring pharmacist, humanitarian":

There is a shortage of doctors and pharmacists in Kenya and Ethiopia.

From "Hospitals desperate for nurses using prized bait":

Hospitals have been contending with a nurse shortage for years, but the problem is expected to worsen. In California, the shortfall is magnified by state rules that require one nurse on duty for every five patients in a hospital and by population growth.
In many cases, the efforts also have targeted other hospital jobs difficult to fill, such as pharmacist, radiology technologist and physical therapist.

From "Health Care Officials Urge Youth to 'Make it in Scrubs'":

Currently, California has nearly 230,000 Registered nurses (RN) working full or part-time, according to the latest Legislative Analyst’s Office
(LAO) May 2007 report, “Ensuring an Adequate Health Workforce: Improving State Nursing Programs.” California ranks 49th in nurses per capita and 43rd in pharmacist per capita. By the year 2015, health experts estimate California will suffer a shortage of 17,000 doctors.

From "Customer Choice Plays More Significant Role in Prescription Drug Selection, Opinion Research Corporation Survey Finds":

With the rapid growth in the number of prescription transactions and a shortage of pharmacists, the role of the pharmacist had to become more operational," says Shea. "As technology evolves, I believe pharmacists will see their role becoming more influential and returning to a more advisory position. As a result, pharmacists may end up being one of the greatest influencers in the drug selection process.