A report by NBC News highlights the pressures on US pharmacists faced with increased orders, additional tasks, and fewer staff in chain drugstores. The pressure and understaffing issues have increased during the pandemic as COVID testing and vaccination has become part of pharmacy services. The National Association for Boards of Pharmacy notes the concern for patient safety as well as pharmacists' well-being. The 2019 National Pharmacist Workforce Study showed more than two-thirds of pharmacists saying their workload had risen in the last year (pre-pandemic). The NABP indicates that about one-third of states have regulations addressing pharmacy working conditions.
March 17, 2021
