Posted on 11/09/2005 3:57:04 AM PST by kcvl
By MARGARET STAFFORD, Associated Press Writer Mon Nov 7, 3:40 AM ET
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Unlike most college students nearing graduation, Clarissa Hall isn't worried about finding a job — she's already considering several offers, including some with possible starting salaries of at least $80,000. Hall is benefiting from a nationwide shortage of pharmacists, which has prompted fierce competition between employers for new pharmacy graduates.
"Pretty much everyone in my class has people calling them left and right about jobs," said Hall, a University of Missouri-Kansas City student from Poplar Bluff. "I've had several people calling me and I don't even graduate until May."
The shortage of pharmacists, though, is not good for others in the medical field, or their patients, say those who have been watching the shortage worsen over the last decade.
It was fueled by several factors, especially changes in insurance policies and federal regulations of pharmaceuticals, which made drugs available to more people.
Add to that an aging population and more drugs being manufactured and advertised to the public, and the number of prescriptions has increased from 2 billion to 3.2 billion in the last decade. That problem is expected to worsen after the new Medicare prescription drug program begins Jan. 1, pharmacy officials said.
Independent and chain pharmacies, hospitals and nursing homes are scrambling to find people to fill orders.
The National Association of Chain Drug Stores reported about 5,950 full- and part-time openings in July in its 37,000 member stores. The American Hospital Association reported a 7.4 percent vacancy rate for pharmacists as of December, 2004, with 38 percent of its members saying it was harder to recruit pharmacists last year than in 2003.
The National Community Pharmacists Association, which represents independent pharmacies, does not keep track of job openings.
A consortium of pharmacy groups called the Pharmacy Manpower Project issued a report in 2002 predicting 157,000 unfilled pharmacy openings by 2020.
The need to fill all those new prescriptions has been partially addressed by an increase in technology and the use of pharmacy technicians, said Dr. David Knapp, dean of the School of Pharmacy at the University of Maryland.
But that hasn't addressed increasing pressure on pharmacists to become more involved in helping patients manage their drugs, especially elderly patients who may take several medicines, said Knapp, who coordinated the conference that released the Manpower report.
"Every hour of every day, dozens if not hundreds of prescriptions are coming across the counter," he said. "They are trying to do that while at the same time counseling patients, calling physicians, helping diabetic patients manage eight or 10 medicines, teaching parents how to help their child use his new asthma inhaler. It's a real stressed out situation for pharmacists."
Around the country, universities are opening new pharmacy schools or expanding existing programs, but it likely will take years for supply to meet demand. Some schools have reported 10 applicants for every pharmacy opening, although that figure includes people applying to more than one school, Maine said.
"It is a great job market for those who get in," Maine said. "But we also have a lot of disappointed people who are being turned away."
Many universities have opened satellite programs, and about 20 new pharmacy schools have opened in the last five years, Knapp said. That should increase the number of graduating pharmacists to more than 10,000 in 2007, compared to about 8,000 graduates in 2003-04, Maine said.
"There is such an astonishing interest," said Lucinda L. Maine, executive vice president of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy in Alexandria, Va. "It's the highest level I've seen in my 30 years in pharmacy admissions."
But even new schools and expansions will not help in the short-term, which raises concerns about whether patients will get the information they need about their medications, said Robert Piepho, dean of the Missouri-Kansas City pharmacy school.
"If patients don't have access (to pharmacists), they run the risk of adverse effects from drug interactions."
If you are so good at curing yourself why do you even go to the doctor in the first place since you think they are all greedy, heartless, know nothings?
---
Don't worry, I am sure he will when he gets done playing in his herb garden and gets sick enough to die. I'm even more sure there will be a physician that will welcome him to the practice and treat him like a family member, when that time comes. I see it all the time, and it isn't in the heart of a GOOD doctor to hold a grudge patients because they're ignorant or misinformed. Attorney's on the other hand, I pull the welcome mat quickly when they pull into my parking lot.
Some of those chemicals and drugs are deadly. The pharmacist has to know his stuff.
Then you are a better person than I am.
BTW, I thought herb gardens were for garnishing your spaghetti.
"Name them."
Name one drug company that does not reward doctors.
"Chemo saved my life."
I am glad you are a cancer survivor. Many live because of chemo. Many do not live because of chemo. Many cancer patients die in spite of the chemo.
I believe we should have a choice when it comes to health care. Many successful alternative practitioners have been hounded out of business or out of the country, or thrown in prison for helping people become survivors by using alternative, natural protocols. Perhaps it is time for medical doctors, hospitals and drug companies to experience that fate for their failures.
"...why do you even go to the doctor...?"
Fifteen years ago I knew no other way. Recently I wanted a confirmed diagnosis by a medical doctor before the self treatment - I wanted to know for sure that the alternative protocol used really resulted in the cure. I will go back to him soon for confirmation of the cure and let him explain to me why the alternative protocol that I used successfully does not work.
"...heartless, know nothings..."
No, doctors generally are not heartless, know nothings. They are products of their 'medical environment', products of the drug company influence on their training and their practice. My guess is that if a quarter of the practicing physicians became alternative practitioners, in a relatively short time they would be seeing most of the patients and many of the other three quarters would be out of work.
You are the one claiming they get "perks". I asked you to name them since you know they get them. I see that you can't.
If you call sample drugs "perks" I guess you don't realize that they give those to their patients to try before the patient spends his/her hard earned money to buy a prescription that may/may not work. That's why they call them SAMPLES. Every time I go to my doctor he gives me allergy medication that I take all of the time and buy regularly. Those "perks", as you call them, help the PATIENT, not the doctor, unless you know of some other "perk" they get that I am not aware of.
Or maybe you are talking about those Kleenex with the drug company name on them placed in the patient's examining room, or those pens with the drug company name on them. Those "perks"?
"...herb garden..."
Yes, herbs are for garnishing spaghetti. Also for healing. Healing without side effects.
I already have medical doctors who are friends or family members, btw. And I am neither ignorant nor misinformed. More and more medical doctors are becoming convinced that alternative therapies work and are often superior to their standard procedures.
Attorney's on the other hand... :)
The last pharmacist that I asked about my cough, backed away from me about 5 steps. I asked him if cold medicine could bind up oral estrogen. Not a real silly question is it? He didn't have a clue.
You still haven't answered the question about what "perks" doctors receive from drug companies.
And cholesterol lowering drugs are dangerous.
He prescribes drugs for an irregular heart beat (Beta Blockers, as an example). Beta Blockers try to control the irregular heart beat by weaking the heart muscle.
----
I am happy for your faith in herbals/CAM and my protest was exaggerated to prove a point. I congrulate you on your knowledge and the helpful role this has provide to you and others. BUT...
Please do not condescend to me after 25 years of schooling/training and 10 years of practice, that you have somehow gained some mystical insight into allopathic medicine that was purposely witheld by my mentors or that I was too corrupted by the Goblins at the drug companies, to see the light. I have no problem with being suspicious of motives and am sorry you may have run across some bad medicine/doctors. However, I spend way too many hours a week educating patients about the medicines I prescribe, for you to use the Lawyer-like cry, "cholesterol lowering drugs are dangerous." Stick to commenting about the herbal/CAM stuff, unless you've taken years of pharmacology, abnormal human physiology, gross anatomy, Cell Biology, and a year of Biochemistry (which makes organic chemistry look like a course in Linkin' Logs). It's immeasurably more complicated than as you put it for BBlockers working by, "weaking the heart muscle." Thanks to charlatans and simple-minded comments, my daily plight to help folks is just that much harder.
I've been a pharmacist for 20 years, the last 2 at Walgreens--I was looking for information on the IL pharmacists when I saw this article on the shortage. My job is increasingly stressful, not as gratifying as it once was--Plan B, private insurance problems, Medicare part D problems, etc. As a wife and mother, I can work part time and still earn good money, but I am not recommending pharmacy school to anyone at this point.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.