The Pharm D. requirement has lengthened the program by a minimum of
one year--in some cases by as many as three years.

I doubt tuition costs are a major factor. ONU, for instance, is costly
at around $40k/year. But the bulk of that $40k can be offset by grants
and scholarships.

The sorry state of our public school systems is no doubt a part of the
problem. For those grads who are truly college material, there are too
many other professions that offer far more money than pharmacy--and
offer far better working conditions. The long-term future of pharmacy
is questionable, while certain opportunity exists in other areas of
health care. I find it hard to believe that recent grad with a
potential 30+ year career ahead of him or her would even consider
pharmacy over other professions such as traditional medicine or
podiatry, just to mention a couple of examples. The exception being
the female student. Pharmacy is a great career for women with an
interest in health care. As we all know, part-time opportunities are
available virtually everywhere. These part-time positions mesh well
with the female pharmacist's need to devote much of her life to
raising a family.

The mandatory Pharm D. requirement is absolutely asinine, and is
directly responsible for the worsening of the pharmacist shortage.
There is simply an overabundance of high-paying and highly respected
career choices for the qualified young grad who is willing to study
their way through a 6-8 year professional program.

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