Retail Pharmacy Employment to Stay Stagnant in Next Decade

The employment of pharmacists is projected to show little or no change from 2018 to 2028, according to the Occupational Outlook Handbook.¹

Although the demand for pharmacists is expected to increase in a variety of health care settings, the employment of pharmacists in this industry is projected to decline overall. Specifically, in retail pharmacy, sales will be affected by the increase in the use of mail order and online pharmacies in recent years.¹

In nonretail settings, the outlook for pharmacist employment is projected to increase by 6.9% by 2028, with the biggest growth in hospitals and outpatient care centers.²

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that pharmacist employment at retail, mall, and specialty pharmacies is projected to drop by -5.1% by 2028. This decrease will mainly affect chain and independent pharmacies, which are predicted to employ approximately 11,000 fewer pharmacists.²

In addition, it is projected that pharmacy technicians will be taking a greater role in pharmacy operations and will complete tasks that are usually done by pharmacists, such as preparing more types of medications and verifying the work of other technicians.¹

REFERENCES

• Job Outlook-Pharmacists. Occupational Outlook Handbook. Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/pharmacists.htm#tab-6. Accessed October 17, 2019.
• Fein, AJ, PhD. Grim Job Outlook for Retail Pharmacists Gets Even Grimmer. Drug Channels. https://www.drugchannels.net/2019/10/grim-job-outlook-for-retail-pharmacists.html#more. Published October 17, 2019. Accessed October 17, 2019.