Hospitals, pharmacies court students amid pharmacist shortage

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Posted 7:55AM on Thursday, April 4, 2002

PITTSBURGH - Paying $90,000 for a prescription may seem steep, but it's a bargain to pay the person that fills it -- at least that's what CVS Pharmacy is paying for one graduating senior at Duquesne University. Pharmacy student Todd Markawski turned down three offers before taking an $80,000-a-year job plus a $10,000 relocation bonus with the company in Cleveland. Thanks to a record number of new drugs, aging baby boomers taking more medication and the proliferation of managed health care, colleges across the country can't seem to graduate students fast enough to fill the nationwide shortage of pharmacists. Kelly Stell, a second-year pharmacy student at University of Pittsburgh, said she's been treated well by Rite Aid -- as an intern. Rite Aid was willing to transfer her an hour east of Pittsburgh to Westmoreland County so she could spend the summer with her family. "They're happy when they get any intern," said Stell, 22. A study released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services shows the number of unfilled full- and part-time drug store pharmacists climbed from 2,700 in 1998 to nearly 7,000 in 2000, the most recent figures available. Pharmacists are also busier. In 1999, retail pharmacists filled 2.8 billion prescriptions, up 44 percent from 1992. "It's nationwide," said Lucinda Maine of the American Pharmaceutical Association about the shortage. "It's across all settings and it appears it will be long standing. There's no quick remedy." College officials say they're trying to meet the demand by offering accelerated courses and increasing class size, while pharmacies and hospitals are in a bidding war, offering bonuses and tuition reimbursement. A graduate of the nation's 83 pharmacy schools can expected to make between $70,000 and $75,000, or as much as $90,000 in states like California, where the shortage is more severe, Maine said. Gary Stoehr, associate dean at University of Pittsburgh's School of Pharmacy, says six of his students were treated to a trip to Florida while interning at Walgreens. "They were showing them what they have to offer in hopes that they would come to work for them later," said Stoehr. Hospitals, which generally pay less, are using creative incentives. UPMC Health System, for example, offers tuition forgiveness for students. "They know they can pick and choose," said Stoehr. "The interviewers are asking them, 'Where do you want to go and when do you want to go?"' University of Arkansas pharmacy student John Kirtley said he has received calls from the likes of Walgreens and Wal-Mart with job offers that pay as much as $85,000, plus profit sharing. "I'm feeling really good about it," said Kirtley, 23. "There's a lot of opportunity. I'm sure everyone in my class is going to find a job." Meanwhile, some colleges without pharmacy schools are rushing to create them, and others with established programs are trying to train more pharmacists faster. Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine in Erie will open a pharmacy school this fall, enrolling 78 students in a three-year professional degree program once they have completed the prerequisites, said college spokesman Pierre Bellicini. Pharmacy school typically takes six years to complete -- two to complete prerequisite courses and four for the professional degree. Gordon Vanscoy, assistant dean at Pittsburgh's School of Pharmacy, said officials are trying to increase enrollment as well. He said class size dropped from 120 five years ago to just about 80. Vanscoy said the shortage has become more critical than ever because patients rely on a pharmacist's expertise to check for drug interactions. "There are a quarter million deaths per year due to adverse drug reaction," said Vanscoy. "We need to have someone take responsibility for that." ------ On the Net: University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy: http://www.pharmacy.pitt.edu/default.lasso American Pharmaceutical Association: http://www.aphanet.org/