Staffing and service rose at independent pharmacies in 2006
Although the number of independent pharmacies has decreased from 2006, salary levels for pharmacists and technicians have increased.
Despite a difficult year, the level of staffing and the range of services offered increased at many independent community pharmacies, according to the 2007 NCPA-Pfizer Digest. The study, which has been conducted annually for the last 75 years, surveyed independent pharmacies based on 2006 data and found that the number of independent community pharmacies decreased by 1,152 from the 2006 results. According to the study, more pharmacies are offering nutrition, compounding, herbal medicine, hospice services, and disease state management among their increasingly diverse offerings. In addition, the pharmacies now average 13.4 full-time equivalent employees in 2006, up from 12.8 the previous year. Staffing of pharmacists increased to 1.9 from 1.7. In addition the survey noted, the average hourly wages for pharmacists, technicians, and clerks all rose over the year.
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