Arora Prachi, Mott David A, Chui Michelle A, Kreling David H
Division of Social and Administrative Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Innov Pharm. 2015;6(3). doi: 10.24926/iip.v6i3.391.
Past reports suggest that a near balance has been reached in the supply and demand for pharmacists in the US. Although data on the level of supply of pharmacists is available, there is no continuous and systematic tracking of the level of demand (unmet and latent) for pharmacists at state level. Unmet demand, an established construct in pharmacy workforce, is important to measure the number of vacancies and assess pharmacist shortage consistently over time. Latent demand or potential demand is a novel construct and has never been measured in pharmacy workforce. With the increase in supply, it is important to measure the potential demand that could be budgeted in pharmacies in the near future.
The objective of this study was to measure the unmet and latent demand for pharmacists and explore the association between latent demand and workload characteristics in community and hospital pharmacies in Wisconsin in 2011-12.
The study used a cross-sectional, descriptive survey design. A sample of community pharmacies (n=1,064) and hospital pharmacies (n=126) licensed in Wisconsin in 2011-12 was identified. Key informants (managers/owners) of sampled pharmacies were sent a one-page cover letter explaining the purpose of the study and requesting participation and a three page survey form. The main outcome measures of the study were total number of FTE pharmacist positions vacant, presence of adequate staff size, additional number of FTE pharmacist positions needed to attain adequate staff size, prescription volume, daily census, hospital size and number of hours prescription department is open. Descriptive statistics were calculated for all the pharmacies collectively, then separately for community and hospital pharmacies. Pharmacy setting, vacancies and workload characteristics of pharmacies with and without latent demand were compared using chi-squared test of independence and/or t-test. Sample weights were calculated and used in all the analyses to weigh the estimates to all pharmacies in Wisconsin.
Overall response rate to the survey was 50.1%. Of the total number of FTE pharmacist positions budgeted in Wisconsin, 54.3 FTE positions (1.5%) were reported vacant in 2011-12. Approximately 28.2% of the community and hospital pharmacies reported the presence of latent demand. Latent demand was significantly associated with higher workload in community pharmacies and larger bed size in hospital pharmacies.
There appeared to be a balance between the supply and demand for pharmacists in Wisconsin in 2011-12. There is a potential for additional FTE positions (latent demand) to be budgeted in pharmacies to attain adequate pharmacist staff size. It is important to consistently track the level of unmet and latent demand for pharmacists in Wisconsin and combine this information with other workforce characteristics to guide the decision making of pharmacy workforce planners and pharmacy managers.
过去的报告表明，美国药剂师的供需已接近平衡。尽管有药剂师供应水平的数据，但在州一级没有对药剂师的需求水平（未满足的和潜在的）进行持续、系统的跟踪。未满足的需求是药学劳动力中的一个既定概念，对于长期持续衡量空缺职位数量和评估药剂师短缺情况很重要。潜在需求是一个新的概念，在药学劳动力中从未被衡量过。随着供应的增加，衡量近期药房可能预算的潜在需求很重要。
本研究的目的是衡量2011 - 12年威斯康星州社区和医院药房药剂师的未满足需求和潜在需求，并探讨潜在需求与工作量特征之间的关联。
该研究采用横断面描述性调查设计。确定了2011 - 12年在威斯康星州获得许可的社区药房样本（n = 1064）和医院药房样本（n = 126）。向抽样药房的关键信息提供者（经理/所有者）发送了一封解释研究目的并请求参与的一页封面信和一份三页的调查问卷。该研究的主要结果指标包括全职等效药剂师职位空缺总数、是否有足够的员工规模、达到足够员工规模所需的额外全职等效药剂师职位数量、处方量、每日普查、医院规模以及处方部门开放时间。对所有药房整体计算描述性统计数据，然后分别针对社区和医院药房计算。使用独立性卡方检验和/或t检验比较有无潜在需求的药房的药房设置、空缺情况和工作量特征。计算样本权重并用于所有分析，以将估计值加权到威斯康星州的所有药房。
调查的总体回复率为50.1%。在威斯康星州预算的全职等效药剂师职位总数中，2011 - 12年报告有54.3个全职等效职位（1.5%）空缺。约28.2%的社区和医院药房报告存在潜在需求。潜在需求与社区药房较高的工作量以及医院药房较大的床位规模显著相关。
2011 - 12年威斯康星州药剂师的供需似乎达到了平衡。药房有可能预算额外的全职等效职位（潜在需求）以达到足够的药剂师人员规模。持续跟踪威斯康星州药剂师未满足和潜在需求的水平，并将这些信息与其他劳动力特征相结合，以指导药学劳动力规划者和药房经理的决策，这很重要。
