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As we celebrate nearly 100 years of American Pharmacists Month – and the 20^th anniversary of extending the previously week-long recognition to the full month of October – we are also faced with some harsh realities. Labor shortages, turnover, burnout, and other challenges are at an all-time high in the pharmacy profession, due in part to an increased scope of responsibilities and lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Some show that pre-pandemic burnout rates were already hovering at about 40-50% and have soared to over 90% in the years since. At the same time, fewer students are choosing to go into the field – with the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) noting a worrisome in pharmacy school applicants over the last 10 years. Still, there is hope.

Operationally, new solutions and patterns are emerging that show promise in alleviating the burden on pharmacists – allowing them to once again operate at the top of their license and focus on duties related to patient care. Automation, digitization, and “smart” technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are at the forefront of the conversation on operational efficiency and combating labor shortages in the healthcare industry, as they are in so many others. “And it’s our turn – again – ” says Brad Myers, PharmD, MBA, “to stay ahead of the curve and be on the frontlines of change,” alluding to the fundamental role pharmacists played in the response to the COVID pandemic. “By driving the implementation of AI-driven data strategies, robotic dispensing, central fill, and other solutions, we can create a digitized, automated model that solves for some of the pharmacy’s pain points, including labor constraints, and can be mirrored in other departments to solve for theirs.”

Andrew Wilson, PharmD, FASHP, Chief Pharmacy Officer at McKesson, agrees. “Pharmacists have the unique opportunity – maybe even responsibility – to lead the charge in adopting these technologies, which,” he adds, “can have benefits far beyond reducing and redistributing pharmacy workload – be that amplifying the pharmacy’s positive financial impact on the health system’s bottom line or making better patient care and outcomes possible.” With the business acumen of pharmacists coming into the spotlight in recent years, as evidenced by pharmacists increasingly taking seats at the C-Suite table, Wilson suggests, “The pharmacy is also well-positioned to effect even broader change with the adoption of a digital-first mindset across the entire health system.”

Elsewhere, there’s a growing call for health systems, manufacturers, and other stakeholders to invest in programs and strategies that will attract new talent to the industry and improve working conditions for those already employed. That may mean partnering with universities or training programs to fund scholarships for new pharmacy students, modifying recruitment and retention plans to emphasize well-being and balance, or even exploring opportunities that may allow some pharmacy professionals to work remotely, part-time, or in hybrid settings. 

At McKesson, this month and always, we celebrate and recognize the many meaningful contributions pharmacists make to the profession and to the healthcare system as a whole – and we stand alongside these essential clinicians in the face of challenge and uncertainty. In a milestone year for American Pharmacists Month, we invite you to do the same. Wilson leaves us with a final reminder of encouragement: “Pharmacy is nothing if not resilient. We’ve weathered what seemed like impossible storms before and, together, we can support our pharmacists and strengthen the profession for the benefit of all.”