More R.Ph.s, techs, and pharmacies, finds NABP survey

State pharmacy boards counted more pharmacist and pharmacy licenses, as well as more technicians last year in the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy's 2006 Survey of Pharmacy Law.

The total number of pharmacist licenses carried on the books by state pharmacy boards rose to 362,780, up 6,277, according to NABP's annual snapshot of the regulatory landscape from data submitted by last July 1. The number of pharmacy licenses hit the 82,276 mark, 1,386 higher than the previous survey. And the technician headcount came in at 235,340, up 42,709.

While the NABP law roundup showed a large jump in licensed pharmacists, a truer picture of the profession's manpower situation lies in the number of pharmacists with an in-state address. Many pharmacists are licensed in more than one state, which skews the total number of practitioners. There was an increase of 1,168 R.Ph.s with in-state addresses. Pennsylvania added the most pharmacists, up 516, followed by Wisconsin with 312 and Arizona with 236. Among the six boards reporting fewer in-state pharmacists, Tennessee lost 935, Texas was down 340, and New York counted 104 fewer pharmacist noses.

Unlike in previous years, few state boards increased their oversight of technicians. Only California decided to join four other boards in licensing technicians, and New Mexico alone opted to register them, bringing the total to 30 states that keep such a list of technician names and addresses.