Trends in the supply of pharmacists in North Carolina

              Quick Facts, 2008
Number of Pharmacists in NC:
8,578
Pharmacists per 10,000 Popula 􀆟 on
North Carolina: 9.3
United States: 8.0
Average age of NC Pharmacists:
43 years, total
48 years, male
39 years, female
Average hours worked per week:
37 hours, total
39 hours, male
36 hours, female
From 2003- 2008, rela 􀆟 ve to popula 􀆟 on:
69 coun 􀆟 es gained pharmacists
29 coun 􀆟 es lost pharmacists
2 coun 􀆟 es had no pharmacists either year
Campus Box 7590
725 Mar 􀆟 n Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Chapel Hill, NC 27599- 7590
h 􀆩 p:// www. shepscenter. unc. edu/ hp
nchp@ unc. edu
( 919) 966- 7112
Trends in the Supply of Pharmacists in
North Carolina
Trends in the Supply of Pharmacists in North Carolina
March 2010
Workforce Supply
There were 8,578 pharmacists in ac 􀆟 ve prac 􀆟 ce in North
Carolina as of October 2008, or 9.3 per 10,000 residents. The ra 􀆟 o
of pharmacists to popula 􀆟 on is a good indicator for comparisons
with na 􀆟 onal and other state rates, and to track trends over 􀆟 me.
The distribu 􀆟 on of pharmacists varies across coun 􀆟 es; Durham had
the highest number of pharmacists rela 􀆟 ve to popula 􀆟 on ( 24.3) and
two coun 􀆟 es, Hyde and Camden, did not have an ac 􀆟 ve pharmacist
( Figure 1).
Comparisons to na 􀆟 onal benchmarks provide another
metric by which to measure North Carolina’s supply. Due to
diff erences in na 􀆟 onal and state data sources and methodologies,
specifi c comparisons between United States ( US) and North
Carolina prac 􀆟 􀆟 oner- to- popula 􀆟 on ra 􀆟 os for any year should be
interpreted with cau 􀆟 on. Since 1987, North Carolina’s supply of
pharmacists rela 􀆟 ve to popula 􀆟 on has exceeded the na 􀆟 onal ra 􀆟 o,
and in the last four years the state’s supply has grown against
popula 􀆟 on while the ra 􀆟 o has fallen for the na 􀆟 on ( Figure 2).
Pharmacists per 10,000 Popula  on
(# of Coun  es)
8.98 to 24.35 ( 24)
6.80 to 8.97 ( 24)
5.16 to 6.79 ( 25)
0.01 to 5.15 ( 25)
No Ac  ve Pharmacists ( 2)
Note: Data include ac  ve, instate pharmacists
licensed in North Carolina as of October 31, 2008.
Source: North Carolina Health Professions Data
System, with data derived from the North Carolina
Board of Pharmacy, 2008.
Figure 1.
Pharmacists per 10,000 Popula  on, North Carolina, 2008
Northwest
AHEC
Greensboro
AHEC
Mountain
AHEC
Charlo  e AHEC
Southern
Regional
AHEC South East
AHEC
Wake
AHEC
Area L
AHEC
Eastern
AHEC