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. 2011 May 10;75(4):76.
doi: 10.5688/ajpe75476.

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

Surrey M Walton  1 , David A Mott, Katherine K Knapp, Gail Fisher
Affiliations

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

Surrey M Walton et al. Am J Pharm Educ. .

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.

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Figures

Figure 1
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).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. The Pharmacist Workforce: A Study of Supply and Demand for Pharmacists. Rockville, MD: US Department of Health and Human Services; 2000. Health Resources and Services Administration.
    1. Knapp KK, Quist RM, Walton SM, Miller LM. Update on the pharmacist shortage: national and state data through 2003. Am J Health-System Pharm. 2005;62(5):492–499. - PubMed
    1. Knapp KK, Cultice JM. New pharmacist supply projections: lower separation rates and increased graduates boost supply estimates. J Am Pharm Assoc. 2007;47(4):463–470. - PubMed
    1. Cooksey JA, Walton SM, Stankewicz T, Knapp KK. Pharmacy school graduates by state and region: 1990-1999. J Am Pharm Assoc. 2003;43(4):463–469. - PubMed
    1. Walton, SM, Knapp, KK, Miller, LM, Schumock, GT. Examination of state level changes in the pharmacist labor market using census data. J Am Pharm Assoc. 2007;47(3):348–357. - PubMed

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