As workforce shortages continue to pressure pharmacy departments, some health systems are investing in a longer-term solution: building their own talent pipelines.
Rather than relying solely on external hiring, organizations are creating technician training programs, expanding residency positions and developing new pathways to prepare pharmacists and technicians for increasingly specialized roles. The strategy requires upfront investment, but leaders say it is helping improve recruitment, retention and workforce stability in some of pharmacy’s hardest-to-fill positions.
According to the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists 2024 “National Survey of Pharmacy Practice in Hospital Settings,” nearly 88% of hospitals reported shortages of experienced pharmacy technicians and more than 92% reported shortages of sterile-compounding technicians. About 60% also reported shortages of clinical pharmacy specialists. Pharmacy leaders have described the challenge not merely as a staffing gap but as a widening leadership and talent pipeline problem, with a limited pool of pharmacists prepared for enterprise-level and specialty roles straining the profession’s ability to meet health system demands.
At Scottsdale, Ariz.-based HonorHealth, technician shortages became a growing challenge both before and after COVID-19, particularly as pharmacy services expanded into specialty areas, such as infusion and oncology.
“We’re trying to shift from hire-and-react to train, grow and retain,” Bina Patel, PharmD, associate vice president of pharmacy services at HonorHealth, told Becker’s.
To support that goal, HonorHealth launched a two-pronged technician pipeline strategy in 2023. One prong consists of an internal online training program using National Healthcareer Association coursework, while the other is a partnership with Scottsdale Community College to provide more structured hands-on training.
Since launching the internal program, HonorHealth has enrolled about 33 students, with an 88% completion rate, a 93% certification exam pass rate and a 70% hiring rate among graduates.
The program has helped address entry-level technician vacancies, though Dr. Patel said the biggest workforce challenge remains specialized areas such as sterile compounding, oncology and infusion services, where training requirements are more extensive and experienced candidates remain scarce.
New Hyde Park, N.Y.-based Northwell Health has taken a similar approach but opted to bring its technician training program entirely in-house.
The health system initially partnered with an outside education provider while pursuing accreditation. Over time, leaders realized Northwell was creating much of the content and delivering most of the training itself, prompting the organization to build and operate its own accredited program, Lisa Mulloy, PharmD, vice president and chief pharmacy officer, told Becker’s.
The response exceeded expectations. After promoting the opportunity through channels such as LinkedIn, Indeed and Instagram, Northwell received more applicants than it could accommodate. The system also developed a recruitment pathway specifically for military veterans, partnering with its military Business Employee Resource Group to offer career pathways for service members transitioning into the civilian workforce.
According to Dr. Mulloy, one feature that resonated with participants is exposure to multiple practice settings. Trainees rotate through both acute care and specialty pharmacy environments, helping them determine which area best fits their interests and career goals.
Graduates have largely remained within the organization after completing the program. Dr. Mulloy said when permanent openings are unavailable, the health system can place trainees into its internal flex staffing pool until opportunities arise.
The next phase of Northwell’s program will focus on oncology and hazardous compounding, supported by a simulation lab designed to provide hands-on experience before technicians enter those environments.
HonorHealth and Northwell are not alone in building internal pipelines. Fort Myers, Fla.-based Lee Health has an in-house, ASHP-accredited pharmacy technician training program it launched seven years ago that pays participants while they train — a model its leaders describe as a long-term answer to a workforce problem that has stretched more than a decade.
While technician shortages often receive significant attention, some systems are also investing heavily in pharmacist pipelines.
Indianapolis-based Community Health Network expanded its pharmacy residency program by about 50% over the past several years to support growth in oncology, cardiology and specialty pharmacy services. The strategy was designed to build internal expertise while creating a pipeline of pharmacists trained specifically within the organization’s practice model.
“We’re investing in ourselves,” Dawn Moore, PharmD, vice president and chief pharmacy officer of Community Health Network, told Becker’s.
Community Health retains roughly 50% to 60% of residency graduates, creating an internal source of talent for specialty areas where recruiting experienced pharmacists can be difficult. The expansion was driven in part by growing demand for oncology pharmacists, a talent pool that remains in short supply nationwide.
“Everybody’s looking for that talent,” Dr. Moore said. By increasing residency positions, the health system hopes to develop more of that expertise internally as its oncology and specialty pharmacy services continue to grow.
At the same time, she noted that demand for residency-trained pharmacists continues to outpace supply as more health systems expand specialty clinical services and compete for the same workforce. In the 2026 ASHP Pharmacy Residency Match, 3,872 individuals matched with 1,567 programs in phase 1 — but 1,250 of 5,122 total positions remained open heading into phase 2. Community Health is now exploring nontraditional residency pathways that would allow existing pharmacists to complete structured specialty training while remaining employed.
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