Career
Path Forecast
 According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics,
employment of pharmacists is expected to increase much faster than the
average through 2016. As a result of rapid growth and the need to
replace workers who leave the occupation, job prospects should be
excellent. Employment of pharmacists is expected to grow by 22 percent
between 2006 and 2016, which is much 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. Other factors likely
to increase the demand for pharmacists include scientific advances that
will make more drug products available and the coverage of prescription
drugs by a greater number of health insurance plans and Medicare.
 As the use of prescription drugs increases, demand for pharmacists will
grow in most practice settings, such as community pharmacies, hospital
pharmacies, and mail-order pharmacies.
As the population ages, assisted living facilities and home care
organizations should see particularly rapid growth. Demand will also
increase as cost conscious insurers, in an attempt to improve
preventative care, use pharmacists in areas such as patient education
and vaccination administration.
Demand
is also increasing in managed care organizations where pharmacists
analyze trends and patterns in medication use, and in pharmacoeconomics
-- the cost and benefit analysis of different drug therapies. New jobs
also are being created in disease management -- the development of new
methods for curing and controlling diseases -- and in sales and
marketing. Rapid growth is also expected in pharmacy informatics -- the
use of information technology to improve patient care.
Excellent opportunities are expected for pharmacists over the 2006 to
2016 period. Job openings will result from rapid 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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