Pharmacist Shortage: The Shocking Truth

Contradictory claims exist regarding the pharmacist shortage versus the job market demand for pharmacists.
Alex Barker, Founder of The Happy PharmD, provides a thorough breakdown of what's really happening with new graduates, job market numbers, and workplace issues in pharmacy today.
Links mentioned in the video:
- The Happy PharmD Podcasts: thehappypharmd...
- Whistleblowing & Pharmacy: When and How to Address Pharmacy Fraud with Jon Tycko • Whistleblowing & Pharm...
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Alex Barker is the founder of The Happy PharmD - a community crafted for pharmacists to navigate their career paths together, securing their dream jobs swiftly at organizations where they’re truly valued-and, of course, earning well!
The Free Book "Indispensible": thehappypharmd...
The Coaching: thehappypharmd...
The Courses: happy-pharmd.t...
The Pharmacist Salary Guide: thehappypharmd...
Follow us also on:
Instagram: / thehappypharmd
TikTok: tiktok.com/the...
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1:57 Pharmacist Shortage
3:12 Academic Panic
5:17 Impending Crisis
8:41 Not a shortage
9:26 Preference Mismatch
12:11 Burnout
16:55 Problems with the workplace
18:32 Fix the System
20:33 Demand more for yourself

[@buzzkillpharmd6494]

We have no voice. The boards of pharmacy do not look out for us AT ALL. We haven't had a raise since the mid 2000s. We have no power. You speak up? You're fired. Please be realistic about this. Getting a PharmD instead of an MD has been the biggest mistake OF MY LIFE. Anyone that goes into pharmacy is CRAZY.

[@Rare_Jucci_TV]

Am about going for pharmD That y am researching 😢

[@raz1739]

@@Rare_Jucci_TVDon’t do it !

[@Rare_Jucci_TV]

@@raz1739 I have start weighing my other options..thank God I came across dz

[@DrAshleyKay]

The boards are there to make sure patients are safe, they in no way represent us. The state associations can help however they pull towards their membership majority.

[@annyruygrok831]

This profession needs help suicide or suicidal ideation is at an all time high. We need staffing and not treated like crap by rest of store.

[@BellGrattz]

Tbh, If pharmacy as a profession is needed and is valuable it will stay, if not it will perish. You cant fake value. Yes I agree that there should be some reforms in regarding to pharmacy practice that takes into account patient and pharmacist/tech safety. But its important to realize that some of the tough aspects of pharmacy are part of the job as well…

[@jlove4eva1234]

sinking ship requiring residency and a doctorate for an entry level job...welppp

[@buzzkillpharmd6494]

Even residency trained guys can't find clinical positions. Pharmacy as a profession is over.

[@aladdin_saos]

I'm nervous about starting pharmacy school because all my relatives and advisors tell me it's unstable and not worth it anymore to build a healthy career and life. However, when they speak about this, it’s in regards to retail work. What are your thoughts on hospital or pharmaceutical company jobs?

[@buzzkillpharmd6494]

Assume you won't get into hospital or industry and ask yourself if you want to be the RPh working at Walgreens or CVS... please do not do this to yourself and do something else. If not an MD do not go into healthcare.

[@utahjazz9com]

If I could go back in time I would not pursue the PharmD degree. I can't even enjoy my days off anymore because I'm constantly dreading work. If you still want to pursue pharmacy school I would recommend to network with non-retail pharmacy personnel as soon as you can

[@aladdin_saos]

@@buzzkillpharmd6494 i’d be going for pharmD, i don’t want to be a Rph is it still that bad?

[@Rare_Jucci_TV]

​@@buzzkillpharmd6494pls what of nursing

[@andrewfeazelle]

This is a political problem, not some type of informational deficit problem. The US has been entirely corrupted by corporations over the last 40+ years. Ever since Buckly v. Valeo (Supreme Court case) allowed corporations to flood money into political campaigns, corporations, specifically those with the most money now control everything. They've busted and gutted unions which do allow for better working conditions. They've avoided regulations which would set floors for how much staff are in pharmacies. They've allowed private equity to buy up like a huge amount of the hospitals. You're something like 25% more likely to die in a private equity owned hospital because they cut staffing back so much. Basically the big insurance companies that own the politicians are why workplace environments are bad.

[@andreaslind6338]

Spot on, and it all gets justified under the headline of "making the US more compettitive". Literaly anything that gives more money to buisness will be justified this way. Society, ethics or common sense are irrelevant.

[@andrewfeazelle]

@@andreaslind6338 what’s sad is employers will threaten to move jobs over seas if workers don’t submit to bad conditions or bad pay. But pharmacies don’t even have that leverage. CVS can’t fill scripts in Mexico for a customer to pick up in a few hours. So in that respect pharmacy workers have leverage other companies don’t. Yet the biggest gains for workers have been in manufacturing lately.

[@raz1739]

The State Boards & School’s greed has ruined the profession & we have zero voice! It’s pathetic tbh!

[@aladdin_saos]

Can you give a short summary on what exactly is wrong in the pharmacy industry? Like is it not worth studying? Or are there no jobs? Or is there no money? I know these questions might seem ridiculous, but i’m just anxious and so lost.

[@The1theoneandonly1]

Some say hell is not on earth...I beg to disagree.

[@aladdin_saos]

@@The1theoneandonly1 could you provide depth and explanation

[@buzzkillpharmd6494]

Be an MD or do something else. Pharmacy isn't worth it anymore. Pay is too low and the stress is too high. You will most likely be working in retail , which is the worst. Pay hasn't moved since at least 2009. Don't do it.

[@aladdin_saos]

What about working in a hospital? My father worked in corporate and retail and I’ve seen the personal hell that it is. it’s why I’ve always planned on going in the hospital setting with my doctorate of pharmacy

[@aladdin_saos]

@@buzzkillpharmd6494 and MD is way too long for me personally I don’t see myself studying an additional 6 to 12 years after getting my bachelor’s

[@paulferraro1891]

Consider this: between 1986 and now the number of pharmacy schools neatly doubled.

[@Pharmacist9920]

There are a lot of pharmacists who switch to med school now!

[@thehappypharmd]

Anecdotally or statistically? I haven't seen any changes over the norm.

[@forthdimension686]

If they get accepted, med school admissions is 50x more competitive

[@thehappypharmd]

@@forthdimension686 It is more competitive for obvious reasons. Burnout rates are similar.

[@elitetrader5468]

@@forthdimension686 50X? How did you come up with this number besides pulling it out of your ass? The real answer is medical school is just over 2X more competitive. One need only look at the percentage acceptance rate to determine this.

[@jimkee7988]

When I am asked about pharmacy, and should my kid think about pharmacy school, I’m torn. It can be a great career. (It’s no longer a profession) Now I just tell people: If you do go into pharmacy, do something interesting. There’s plenty of things to do with a pharmD. Don’t go into retail, don’t work for a major corporation. If your employer is on wall street, they are not looking out for you and your ability to do your job adequately. They are looking to make money for the investors. It’s that simple.

[@thehappypharmd]

Wise insight. Do something interesting.

[@buzzkillpharmd6494]

90% of pharmacists have no options but retail, so assume that's where he'll end up. Please do not let him ruin his life. MD or something that's not health care. AI, computer science, is the way.

[@utahjazz9com]

I have told quite a few people not to apply to pharmacy school. The majority of jobs available are in retail which is not worth all the schooling required for the PharmD degree

[@chezarose]

People will always need their medication though. I am a former walmart employee and i can attest to the fact that customers treat people like garbage. I'm currently in the pre-pharmacy program. Even if there is a shortage i still want to do this.

[@jazzmatt19]

I am currently in pharmacy school as well and I’m not quitting bc I hear this information. You never know what benefits you can get from this. I want to work in the hospital tho not retail

[@juicethegoat2557]

I am planning on starting pharmacy school soon, but everything you explain is what so many people tell me about the profession and I’m worried about the salaries decreasing and finding jobs. Do you think switching to med school is more reasonable at this point?

[@thehappypharmd]

Physician suicide and burnout rates are just as high if not higher than pharmacists. Yes, they make anywhere from 25K to 50K annually more starting out. But you should pursue what you want, not what the the economy is doing or base your decision based on what you can get paid. You can make a decent living in nearly all healthcare industries.

[@DeweyNation]

As a recent pharmd graduate. If you do not LOVE pharmacy (which idk why you would) DO NOT DO IT. i wish every day i didnt do it. Ruined my life

[@thehappypharmd]

@@DeweyNation That stinks. I’m sorry you feel that way. I felt that way after 3 years of practice. I hope you find a reason to love pharmacy again.

[@buzzkillpharmd6494]

I'm an old RPh and if my student loans weren't paid off I'd feel the same way. I'm so sorry man. Do whatever you can to get the loans paid off then you will feel much better about things. Or grind and go to med school, seriously. If I was 10 years younger and knew how bad it was going to get, I would have gotten the MD and been a super doctor by now

[@buzzkillpharmd6494]

@@thehappypharmd umm they make WAY MORE than 50k more than us, more like 200-250k more

[@thejaebeing]

With the closure of Rite Aid and 450 phamrmacist flooding the market, I dont know how there can be a shortage.

[@thehappypharmd]

Yep, there will be another 10,000 unemployed pharmacists very soon with the closures.

[@dragonfighter786]

I just got into pharmacy school after careful consideration between pharmacy school or medical school. I chose pharmacy because it seemed to be more balance, rewarding (financially and patient difference) and catered to my strengths. Now after watching this video I’m worried if this was the right profession to go to. I see mixed opinions on the trajectory of pharmacy. 😢

[@susanv.7540]

Do NOT go into retail, especially with the big chains. They will GRIND you down.

[@jlove4eva1234]

dont do it....

[@georgegraham9206]

I worked in retail and hospital. Don't go into retail. Hospital setting was very rewarding I and my colleagues were credited with actually saving many patients

[@buzzkillpharmd6494]

Assuming he can get into hospital, and the pay is still too low across the board. Guy made a HUGE mistake not going to med school. It's still worth it to be an MD in so many ways - autonomy PAY... oof he messed up bad

[@raz1739]

It’s definitely not better financially

[@herobunnymon3486]

I think it's ridiculous how there are still careers that don't have established unions, by now... I thought OSHA is supposed to exist for the sake of worker's safety... there's the pop of the employment bubble for the tech industry, pharmacy, and real estate... Do you hear of any real estate related people dying from heart attacks caused by work? I haven't. Why? I'm guessing it's because real estate sales agents for example are self employed and the barrier to entry to be an agent is pretty low... there's no extreme situations caused unless they do it to themselves not because their employer is threatening to fire them... corporations are not human beings. These things can commit sins and virtually murder people because these things don't feel guilt. If someone running these corporations feel guilty, they will quit and then be replaced with a new person who won't feel as guilty as their predecessor... We need unions and laws to protect us from these corporations. Spend so many years in a college and student loan debt only to end up as abused as a slave with no rights...

[@djenkins555]

Wow. I'm just an MPM, and this spoke to me.

[@thehappypharmd]

Glad it did, but I don’t know what a MPM is! lol

[@benetaue]

Mail order via Amazon 100 techs and one license😂

[@andrewfeazelle]

Don't worry, Walgreens, Rite Aid, and CVS and shrinking store numbers so they'll be plenty of supply in the pipeline.

[@thehappypharmd]

There wasn’t a shortage to begin with, but you’re right. There will be many more job searching!

[@autumnm2075]

New grad here, I don't want to work at any of those. I am lucky enough to be able to hold out for something better.

[@thehappypharmd]

@@autumnm2075 Congrats! What are you looking to get into?

[@buzzkillpharmd6494]

You need to take any job you can get man. No one is going to look at an unemployed new grad unfortunately. I'm a hiring manager and that's the reality.

[@nola4364]

Could pharmacists unionize?

[@mohflo12]

This video explains it all!

[@eric1296]

I hope you talk to @RXcomedy

[@trx3264]

Great video by the way, best analysis I've seen so far.

[@NashvilleWarEagle]

Very well done. Subscribed. Keep it up man.

[@thehappypharmd]

Thanks!

[@notabannedaccount8362]

Dude, some of us have tinnitus. So thanks for the intro.

[@thehappypharmd]

Sorry, will forward to my editor. Thanks.

[@johnshamoun]

More schools means more graduates and applicants competing on a limited and consolidated industry and wages of retail pharmacists barely went up by pennies… Welcome to Corporate America!

[@thehappypharmd]

The numbers have stabilized to a new low, but your market demand point is true.

[@trx3264]

There is a shortage for a reason.(shitty jobs)...pharmacists are walking out, like CVS pharmacists in Kansas City last year. Corporations screw you over and they play hard ball - they don't play softball. You are absolutely right. Corps force you to come up with the lack of profits by leaning on you. There may be a few great jobs, perhaps in clinical. Academia is lying. They also want to call a 6 year degree a "Doctor of Pharmacy" ...which is total B.S. (pure manipulation) just to sell degrees to the naive. Then they graduate and think they're really a "doctor" ..haha... I'm not gonna try and fix the system, I'm off to better and bigger things. Go to med school or get out of health care.

[@trx3264]

The next generation isn't listening....

[@Rare_Jucci_TV]

​@@trx3264sir what about nursing?

[@marwayahya6347]

There is no future for this profession, it's a sinking ship

[@thehappypharmd]

I get where you’re coming from because I thought the same, but my clients and I disagree. There are shiny examples of new career paths and fun jobs. The vast majority of jobs right now, though, are in trouble.

[@elitetrader5468]

It depends on what arena of pharmacy you work in. I work in the ICU. We are forever.

[@buzzkillpharmd6494]

The average pharmacist can't get any of these jobs and are stuck in retail the entirety of their "career." People need to stop glamorizing the other pathways because most will never get the opportunity to experience anything but low paying retail

[@omoelepo]

@@buzzkillpharmd6494 exactly!

[@buzzkillpharmd6494]

@thehappypharmd these shiny examples are unreachable for the majority of pharmacists though, that's the problem. We can't all be hospital or industry.