Association between increased number of US pharmacy graduates and pharmacist counts by state from 2000-2009

Abstract

Objective: To determine whether growth in the number of pharmacy graduates and newly accredited schools from 2000 to 2009 were larger in states with fewer pharmacists per population age ≥ 65 years.

Methods: States were aggregated into quartiles based on rank-ordered ratios of in-state pharmacists per 100,000 population aged ≥ 65 years. Quartiles were then compared with respect to the number of new graduates.

Results: The mean cumulative number of graduates was highest in the first quartile of states (those with the greatest need for pharmacists) and lowest in the fourth quartile of states. States with the greatest need for pharmacists had the lowest positive growth in number of pharmacists per population ≥ 65 years. The majority of new schools in 2009 were located in states with relatively low numbers of pharmacists.

Conclusion: The growth in new pharmacy graduates created by expansion in schools as well as in graduates per school helped states meet demand between 2000 and 2009. However, tremendous variation remains in the number of graduates as well as the number of pharmacists across states. The quartile framework is useful for assessing the number of new pharmacy graduates based on pharmacists per population ratios. Based on current dynamics in the supply and demand of pharmacists, frequent monitoring is recommended.

Keywords: assessment; graduates; pharmacists; states; workforce.

Figure 1

Total US Colleges and Schools Pharmacy Producing Graduates and US Pharmacy School First Professional Degree Graduates by Year, 1990-2009 (Based on data from the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy).