There is no pharmacist shortage. There are alot of "vacant job positions"
because working conditions are terrible. Many rph's wont work more hours or
have cut back hours because they hate the job.  CVS lost over a dozen rph's
in my area.  Not because they died or retired but because they QUIT. Now
they are "short".  Thats not a shortage.  I think its hard to find coal
miners and high wire trapeze artists also.

A brief item in the latest issue of "Pharmacy Times" said that the
pharmacist shortage continues unabated. The article estimated that, for
example, the US chain drug industry is short 5500 pharmacists. The cause, it
was suggested, is the lenghtening of the pharmacy program by one academic
year to make the Pharm.D. degree.

What else is contributing to the shortage, and to what degree do you think
it is? Lack of secondary school training, interest, and/or ability in
science? Tuition costs? I know that there was a Congressional study on the
issue in the late 1990s, but I'd like to hear from the field. What do you
think?

Paul Trusten, R.Ph.
3609 Caldera Boulevard Apartment 122
Midland TX 79707-2872 USA
432-694-6208
ptrusten@cox.net

"There are two cardinal sins, from which
all the others spring: impatience and laziness."

                                         ---Franz Kafka