In an early October poll, 460 respondents answered the question, “As a hospital pharmacy leader, what is your No. 1 issue at the moment?”
Forty-five percent said “staff shortages,” 23% selected “drug shortages,” 28% chose “financial pressures” and 5% said “other.”
For years, there’s been a persistent shortage of pharmacy technicians, which can lead to pharmacists filling pharmacy tech roles, and thus, not working at the top of their licenses. McKinsey & Co. also recently projected that the U.S. will have a shortage of 38,675 pharmacists by 2031.
The issue of staff shortages could also be related to workforce issues in retail pharmacies: Rite Aid declared bankruptcy Oct. 15 and is reportedly planning on closing between 400 and 500 stores, and Walgreens and CVS workers are planning a potential walkout in late October to protest understaffing.
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