Remarks by Senator Jack Reed

Good morning. I am pleased to be here to discuss a topic of critical importance to the health of our nation: the shortage of pharmacists in our health care system and the impending shortfall of faculty to teach future generations of pharmacy students.

As advancements in medical science yield new treatments for a wide range of conditions, including heart disease, arthritis and cancer, the lack of qualified providers to dispense and counsel patients about these increasingly complex medications is a threat to the public health of our nation.

These pharmaceutical breakthroughs continue to revolutionize the way we provide care and have resulted in increased utilization of prescription medications. Not surprisingly, the number of prescriptions dispensed has skyrocketed over the last decade. Between 1992 and 1999, the number of retail prescriptions dispensed per year increased from 1.9 billion to 2.8 billion. The estimated annual number of prescriptions filled per pharmacist grew from 17,400 to 22,900 over the same period.

While the number of practicing pharmacists has grown from 176,000 to 196,000 between 1991 and 2000, the demand for these providers, however, has far outstripped supply over the course of the previous decade.

To some extent, technology and increased automation have helped to improve the efficiency of pharmacists in dispensing medications. Nevertheless, the role of the pharmacist in our health care system continues to grow and evolve.

In the December 2000 Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) report, “The Pharmacist Workforce: A Study of the Supply and Demand for Pharmacists” we learned that due to the rapid increase in demand for pharmacists and our limited ability to expand the number pharmacy education programs to train more pharmacists, the shortage was unlikely to abate without significant changes to the current system.

A November 2001 GAO report found that, on average, hospitals report 21 percent of their pharmacist positions are currently unfilled. Vacancy rates are even higher in federal health systems, such as the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Defense and the Indian Health Service.

In March, I joined eleven of my colleagues in introducing, the Pharmacy Education Act, which unanimously passed the Senate last year but was never taken up by the House.

Our bill provides crucial tuition assistance to pharmacy students through the Health Professions program. Our bill also provides much needed resources to Colleges of Pharmacy to recruit and retain talented faculty.

At a time when having an experienced faculty base at schools of pharmacy is so important, it is estimated that some colleges and schools of pharmacy are experiencing vacancy rates as high as 15 percent and many are slated to retire. It is estimated that 37 percent of current faculty members age 50 or older and 24 percent of deans aged 60 or older.

The average pharmacy student graduates with nearly $50,000 of pharmacy education related debt, making it extremely unlikely they will choose lower paying employment in rural and underserved areas or a faculty position at a college or school of pharmacy in such a highly competitive market.

This legislation evens the playing field and gives pharmacy graduates the option to pursue a career in pharmacy in an underserved practice area or in an academic setting.

The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, which I proudly serve on, passed S. 648 by unanimous consent in June and is currently awaiting consideration by the full Senate. A House counterpart measure is expected to be introduced this Fall (by Congresswoman Barbara Cubin of Wyoming).

I look forward to strong bipartisan support for the Pharmacy Education Aid Act when Congress returns in the Fall and hope we can present this critical legislation to the President for his signature prior to the conclusion of the first session of the 108th Congress.

The shortage of licensed pharmacists is having a detrimental impact on the provision of health care services in the country. Unless we recruit enough faculty to train the next generation of pharmacists, the quality of health care for all Americans may suffer, especially for our older citizens. I commend the American Foundation for Pharmaceutical Education for launching this new scholarship campaign and I encourage companies, foundations, and private donors to support this important new program.”

Thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning and I congratulate all of the pharmacy organizations represented here today for their commitment and interest in addressing this critical issue for our health care system.