Career
Path Forecast
 According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics,
employment of pharmacists is expected to grow by 17 percent between 2008
and 2018, which is faster than the average for all occupations. The
increasing numbers of middle-aged and elderly people -- who use more
prescription drugs than younger people -- will continue to spur demand
for pharmacists throughout the projection period. In addition, as
scientific advances lead to new drug products, and as an increasing
number of people obtain prescription drug coverage, the need for these
workers will continue to expand.
Pharmacists also are
becoming more involved in patient care. As prescription drugs become
more complex, and as the number of people taking multiple medications
increases, the potential for dangerous drug interactions will grow.
Pharmacists will be needed to counsel patients on the proper use of
medication, assist in drug selection and dosage, and monitor complex
drug regimens. This need will lead to rapid growth for pharmacists in
medical care establishments, such as doctors’ offices, outpatient care
centers, and nursing care facilities.
 Demand
also will increase in mail-order pharmacies, which often are more
efficient than pharmacies in other practice settings. Employment also
will continue to grow in hospitals, drugstores, grocery stores, and mass
retailers, because pharmacies in these settings will continue to process
the majority of all prescriptions and increasingly will offer patient
care services, such as the administration of vaccines.
Job prospects. Job
prospects are expected to be excellent over the 2008–18 period.
Employers in many parts of the country report difficulty in attracting
and retaining adequate numbers of pharmacists—primarily the result of
the limited training capacity of Pharm.D. programs. In addition, as a
larger percentage of pharmacists elects to work part time, more
individuals will be needed to fill the same number of prescriptions. Job
openings also will result from faster than average employment growth and
from the need to replace workers who retire or leave the occupation for
other reasons.
Note: Some resources in this section are provided by the US Department
of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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