Should we fear a shortage of pharmacists? The latest report from Order of pharmacists indicates that 193 pharmacies were still closed last year. Today there are 21,903 in the territory, including 21,192 in mainland France, nearly a thousand fewer than ten years ago. But the Order does not seem particularly worried because these closures are above all “active closures” that is to say, regroupings of structures, which correspond to the growing desire not to work alone but as a team.
An evolving profession
For several years now, referral to the pharmacy has been decreasing (-5.7% in ten years) while the number pharmacists registered on the Order’s roll continues to increase (+ 1.6% last year). The latter show a growing interest in certain sectors, such as industry (+ 13.1% enrollments in 10 years) or health establishments (+ 39.4%).
The reversal of the aging trend continues: although retirements are taking place increasingly late, the average age is, as in 2016, 46.7 years. The under 33 age group is predominant (15.9% of pharmacists).
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