That 3.4 means pharmacists are in demand, but what about by job type?



In addition, the Aggregate Demand Index (ADI) has been trending down over the last 10 years. When the ADI goes down, demand for pharmacists decreases. A surplus hasn’t occurred yet, according to these data:

Source: Pharmacy Man Power



Interestingly, this Pharmacy Man Power resource is supported by the AACP, which supports the idea that a pharmacist shortage will exist.



Does this mean greater unemployment for pharmacists?

In a viral article entitled "A Looming Joblessness Crisis for New Pharmacy Graduates and the Implications It Holds for the Academy," Daniel L. Brown, PharmD, warned of the risks and concerns for the pharmacy industry with so many students and much lower demand for pharmacists.



Still, AACP executive vice president and CEO Lucinda L. Maine, PhD, RPh, noted in an interview that an important unknown is the rate of expansion of pharmacists’ patient care services.



Is pharmacy school worth the investment?

According an article entitled “Pharmacy Student Debt and Return on Investment of a Pharmacy Education,” the average amount of pharmacy school debt accrued in 2011 was $114,422.

The average tuition cost for pharmacy school has increased 54% in the last 8 years. This means students are entering the workforce with more debt than ever before. In many cases, students have more college debt than yearly salary.

For the real cost of pharmacy school tuition, take a look at this table:





Since 2002, the average pharmacist salary has increased 49%, from $75,00 to $112,000. While tuition has increased substantially in 8 years, the average pharmacist salary has increased at approximately the same rate of 49%, from $75,000 in 2002 to $112,000 in 2010.



However, there were 3000 fewer pharmacist positions in 2012 than in 2011, which could be another sign that a surplus will come.

