Ultimate guide to hiring pharmacists
Pharmacists are healthcare professionals who work in both community pharmacies and hospitals to dispense medicines prescribed by physicians and provide information on proper drug administration. Facilities today are looking to hire a pharmacist who can manage increasing workloads efficiently. Due to the increased patient volume, the COVID-19 immunization effort has brought a significant workload on pharmacists.
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is ongoing, and the healthcare sector is experiencing a growing staff shortage as many healthcare workers are leaving the workforce due to burnout and other physical issues. There is a growing shortage of pharmacists in the USA, which is the biggest problem facing pharmacies and healthcare facilities today. The National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) reported that around 70% of the pharmacies are experiencing staffing shortages. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 10,000 pharmacist job openings are projected each year to replace vacant pharmacist roles.
Pharmacist job openings are expected to grow by 5% in the current decade, 2023 to 2033.
Moreover, the rising prevalence of chronic diseases in the US population and the aging baby boomer generation have created a heightened demand for skilled pharmacists in healthcare facilities. However, the shortage of pharmacists is causing considerable delays in patient care and increasing the workload on existing staff. This not only reduces the quality of care but can also affect team dynamics and operational efficiency.
Therefore, healthcare facilities need to carefully plan an effective strategy to implement best practices for pharmacist staffing, ensuring they attract and retain qualified professionals. Read through the blog to understand how you can organize the pharmacist recruitment process using the latest healthcare practices
Source: American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy
To meet urgent staffing goals, many HR teams ask, “how to hire a licensed pharmacist for my hospital?”. The answer often lies in multi-channel sourcing that includes digital platforms, industry-specific staffing networks, and offering flexible roles like temp-to-hire. Facilities are also increasingly focused on employer branding and offering competitive benefits to stand out.
How to attract highly skilled pharmacists to your facility
Despite the growing pharmacist staffing shortage in the healthcare sector, you can attract highly skilled pharmacists to your facility by adopting effective hiring strategies and following the best practices outlined below.
- Create a compelling job description that highlights the perks of working in your facility, as this can encourage top-talent pharmacists to apply for the role. Having a strong employer brand and exhibiting it in job advertisements can help you attract highly skilled pharmacists to your facility. Promote the job opening across platforms such as social media and job boards.
- Offer a competitive compensation package, including other additional benefits such as paid time-offs, health insurance, and retirement plans, along with a competitive salary, needs to be offered to recruit highly skilled pharmacists to your facility.
- Provide opportunities for career development by promoting various training, certifications, and conferences, and encouraging pharmacists to pursue them. Upskilling opportunities can also be provided by offering mentorship programs and cross-training within the facility.
- Foster an inclusive workplace where each staff member, regardless of background, feels a sense of belonging. Implement policies that support D&I and educate your current staff on them.
- Ensure that shifts are appropriately scheduled and that adequate staff levels are maintained to prevent overworking pharmacists and staffing issues in the healthcare facility. Offer flexible work arrangements to help build a more satisfied workforce.
- Collaborate with reputed pharmacist staffing solutions providers who can help you get highly skilled pharmacists for your facility from their large talent pool. This ensures faster recruitment and supports your pharmacy staffing goals.
Compliance and licensing considerations for healthcare organizations hiring pharmacists
Due to the complexity of regulatory requirements associated with your plans to hire a pharmacist, facilities must take appropriate precautions to navigate healthcare compliance regulations and licensing challenges during the hiring process. The state where your facility is located implements all the healthcare compliance regulations and guidelines for pharmacist hiring.
To navigate regulatory complexities effectively, healthcare facilities should be familiar with the compliance steps for hiring pharmacists for medical stores and with license renewal policies.
The first thing to verify is whether the candidate is licensed to work in the state. If licensed, check for the license renewal details. Most states in the USA require continuing education for license renewal.
Implementing an effective system for detailed candidate credentialing can significantly reduce the risk of compliance and licensing issues for pharmacists. A thorough credentialing process can include verifying licenses, reviewing license renewal history, assessing educational background, examining work experience, and conducting detailed background checks to determine whether the candidate has any criminal or drug-abuse history.
Whether full-time or contract, always ensure the terms and conditions are in line with regulatory standards. It is also essential to document every record related to the pharmacist hiring process to navigate any compliance queries that may arise in the future. While onboarding, providing proper training on best practices and safety standards in your facility can help prevent mishaps that could lead to regulatory complications.
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What are the licensing requirements for working as a pharmacist in California?
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, California pays the highest mean salary for pharmacists in the USA, at $157,280 per year. This creates a considerably higher flow of applicants to apply for healthcare facilities in California. However, the facilities need to ensure that these pharmacists are licensed to work in the state by cross-checking pharmacist qualifications.
States with the highest employment level of Pharmacists
Source: U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics
The licensing requirements for pharmacists in California include passing the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination (NAPLEX) and the California Practice Standards and Jurisprudence Examination for Pharmacists (CPJE). An application must be submitted to the California State Board of Pharmacy, which will then approve it within 30 days to attend these qualifying examinations.
To obtain a pharmacist license in California, the applicant must complete graduation from an accredited college of pharmacy or a school of pharmacy recognized by the Board. Moreover, the candidate must have 1 year of experience as an intern pharmacist or have completed 1500 hours of internship. If you are looking to hire a pharmacist with a license from another state board, the candidate must submit a verification application to validate the license when applying for the qualifying examination.
Even after mentioning competitive wages, another common concern for HR departments is “what are the best platforms to hire pharmacists for clinics?” Many healthcare facilities now turn to tech-enabled platforms like MedSquirrels, which combine automated credentialing, EOR support, and access to a vetted talent pool. These platforms streamline hiring while ensuring compliance, making them more effective than traditional staffing agencies for clinic-based pharmacist recruitment.
Ensuring long-term retention of pharmacists in healthcare organizations
- Revising the compensation and benefits package offered to the pharmacists in your facility at regular intervals is one of the most important pharmacist retention strategies.
- Provide career development opportunities and establish a clear career progression pathway to upskill and motivate the pharmacists.
- Foster a supportive and positive work environment by implementing a mechanism to understand employee grievances regularly.
- Ensure culture fit when hiring a pharmacist, as employees who resonate with the facility’s culture and values can aid long-term retention.
- Establish programs to recognize and reward employees who have demonstrated exceptional career progress.
- Consider hiring enough pharmacy technicians as well to support the existing staff. Pharmacy technicians assist pharmacists in their daily activities and can help pharmacists manage their workload.
Leveraging recruitment agencies to hire pharmacists for your business
There are various pharmacist recruitment agencies available in the USA that can help your facility hire a pharmacist, depending on your requirements. Associating with an experienced pharmacist staffing solutions provider can relieve you of the burdensome administrative tasks related to candidate profile screening, interviewing, credentialing, onboarding, and payroll. Before collaborating with an agency, you need to understand the staffing gaps and staffing requirements in your facility.
For example, if you are looking for a replacement to fill a position caused by the resignation of another pharmacist, you could go with a full-time pharmacist hiring. On the other hand, a contract hire is the best fit for you if you are looking to meet patient demand in your facility with a cost-effective solution.
However, when you hire contractors through healthcare staffing agencies, a major drawback is the high markup they charge (typically 40 to 50%). These markup fees constitute a significant portion of their bill rate, causing the facilities to spend above their budget. Another downside of traditional pharmacist recruitment agencies is their lack of transparency in billing, which often results in underpayment for your pharmacists.
How to hire pharmacists for a new drugstore?
Opening a new drugstore requires not only business planning but also a strategic staffing approach to ensure smooth operations from day one. To staff your new drugstore efficiently, consider a mix of contract, temporary, and full-time pharmacist roles that align with your startup’s immediate needs and long-term goals.
Contract pharmacists are ideal for covering peak hours or bridging short-term gaps while you build patient volume. Temporary-to-full-time hiring allows you to evaluate performance and fit before committing to a full-time offer. This flexible model is especially beneficial for new businesses, helping them manage costs and workflow uncertainty.
It is also important to partner with a healthcare staffing provider that understands the unique requirements of pharmacy startups. Modern platforms like MedSquirrels offer affordable plans suitable for emerging drugstores, supporting you with credentialing, compliance, and recruitment while staying within budget.
Whether you are hiring for a high-traffic urban location or a small community setup, cost-effective hiring options supported by automation can reduce your administrative burden and accelerate your launch timeline.
How you can leverage the MedSquirrels platform to hire pharmacists
While facilities can still partner with traditional staffing agencies to hire a pharmacist, many of these agencies lack the automation and technology needed to streamline modern healthcare hiring. This often results in slower turnaround times, reduced visibility into compliance workflows, and higher overall costs. Manual coordination, limited integration with digital credentialing systems, and a lack of real-time updates make it harder for facilities to scale staffing quickly.
As a result, many organizations are now turning to tech-enabled platforms for more efficient, affordable, and transparent recruiting pharmacist solutions. In today’s healthcare landscape, time-to-hire and compliance accuracy are mission-critical. Using a data-driven platform helps reduce hiring errors, speed up onboarding, and improve provider retention.
MedSquirrels is an AI-enabled healthcare staffing solution provider that helps facilities hire a pharmacist by streamlining the hiring process with automated technology. Our platform achieves this through our Orange and Purple hiring plans, designed to be cost- and time-efficient compared to staffing agencies. To hire a contractor via our platform, you pay a flat license fee and the pharmacist’s payroll cost. This approach is both cost-effective and ensures your provider is paid above industry standards.
MedSquirrels can also support your facility with EOR (Employer of Record) services, ensuring compliance assurance and zero liability in the pharmacist staffing process. You can also check out the details of our Blue plan for hiring permanent pharmacists for your facility. Book a demo today to learn how our hiring plans work!
FAQs
What is the best approach for healthcare facilities to understand how to hire a pharmacist ?
Healthcare facilities can streamline the process by clearly defining the pharmacist’s role, required qualifications, and desired skill set. Evaluating workforce needs, creating detailed job descriptions, and leveraging digital or industry-specific talent platforms help identify qualified candidates efficiently while ensuring compliance and alignment with organizational goals
What should I include in a pharmacist’s job description?
Job descriptions should highlight responsibilities, required qualifications, pharmacist certifications, compensation details, growth opportunities, and workplace benefits. Strong employer branding can attract top talent.
Is it better to hire pharmacists full-time or on a contract basis?
It depends on your needs. Full-time hires provide stability, while contract roles help address temporary demand surges, new launches, or coverage gaps.
Can I use MedSquirrels to hire pharmacists for a new drugstore?
Absolutely. MedSquirrels provides cost-effective hiring plans designed to support growing healthcare teams and start-ups, offering temp-to-perm and contract roles to help manage expenses while expanding services.
Is MedSquirrels suitable for multi-location pharmacy chains?
Yes. MedSquirrels is designed to scale and can help regional or national pharmacy chains manage staffing across multiple facilities with unified compliance and reporting.
