A ten-year trend analysis of pharmacist participation in the workforce

The purpose of this study was to examine trends in work variables (work status, part-time work, secondary employment, full-time equivalents) and characteristics of actively practicing pharmacists between 1990 and 2000. Data from two national surveys of licensed pharmacists in the United States were used for analyses. Between 1990 and 2000 there was an increase in the proportion of licensed pharmacists that were female (31 percent in 1990 versus 43 percent in 2000). For males there was a decrease in the proportion practicing full-time(78.6 percent in 1990 versus 75.9 percent in 2000) and an increase in the proportion that were retired (7.0 percent in 1990 versus 9.4 percent in 2000). For females there was an increase in the proportion practicing full-time (61.7 percent in 1990 versus 69.9 percent in 2000) and a decrease in the proportion working outside of pharmacy and not working (9.1 percent in 1990 versus 6.6 percent in 2000). Given the excess demand for pharmacists, our results suggest the current pharmacist workforce has responded by increasing the amount of work supplied to the pharmacist labor market.