Pharmacy students in high demand due to shortage

Delane Cleveland's report

As many of the nation’s baby boomers become senior citizens, the number of prescriptions pharmacists need to fill grows.

That is just one reason for a growing demand for pharmacists nationwide.

Pharmacists tell Fox 11 News the shortage is so great, one Tucson Walgreens actually had to close their pharmacy five hours early last night because nobody could cover the shift.

It is an ongoing problem that has pharmacies working hard to meet the demand.

University of Arizona pharmacy student Matt Turley graduates in May and, unlike many other students who finish college without a career lined up, he is not worried about finding a job.

“There’s so many options for us right now and the demand right now is really high so we really don’t have the struggle at this moment,” Turley admits.

The number of prescriptions being written for patients is increasing and the number of pharmacists who have to fill those prescriptions has not. One reason for this is pharmacy schools cannot keep up with the demand.

Dr. Kevin Boesen, from the UA College of Pharmacy, explains, “We have a wealth of qualified applicants to choose from. The resources that allow us to educate enough students to fit that demand is where we fall short.”

Boesen says Arizona joins every other state in the nation that has difficulty filling pharmacist positions, which is why customers who showed up at a Walgreens after 5 p.m. last night could not get their prescriptions filled.

Boesen says that should not be the main concern. “I think the biggest concern for patients is the amount of attention that pharmacists are able to pay on the prescriptions that they have filled.” He also says that could potentially put the patients at risk if pharmacists cannot tell them how to properly use the medication.

Meanwhile, students like Turley have bright futures to look forward to.

“They’re all running short on pharmacists, so they are all trying to get pharmacy students to get with their companies and hoping that they’ll stay with their companies when they graduate,” Turley reveals.

Pharmacy is not an easy program at the UA, but the rewards can be high. Starting salaries right out of college are routinely over $100,000 a year.

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