Ultimate guide to hiring pharmacists
Pharmacists are healthcare professionals who work in both community pharmacies and hospitals to dispense the medicines prescribed by the physician and provide details regarding proper drug administration. 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 still ongoing and the healthcare sector is experiencing a rising healthcare staff shortage as most healthcare staff are exiting the workforce due to burnout and other physical issues. There is a rising shortage of pharmacists in the USA, and this is the biggest problem faced by 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, around 14,200 job openings for pharmacists are projected each year to replace the vacant pharmacist roles, and most of them go unfilled.
Pharmacist job openings are expected to grow by 5% in the upcoming decade. This signifies that the demand for pharmacists is critical in the USA.
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 in facilities is causing considerable delays in patient care and increased workload on the existing staff. This not only reduces the quality of care but can also hamper the team dynamics within the facility and cause challenges to operational efficiency. So, it is high time that healthcare facilities prioritize the hiring strategies for pharmacists. Read through the blog to understand how you can strategize the pharmacist recruitment process with the latest healthcare hiring trends.
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 organization
Despite the increasing pharmacist staffing shortage in the healthcare sector, you can attract highly skilled pharmacists to your healthcare facility by adopting effective hiring strategies and following the best practices discussed below.
- Create a compelling job description as highlighting the perks of working in your facility can encourage top talented 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 in various portals including social media and job advertisement boards.
- 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 trainings, certifications, and conferences and encouraging pharmacists to attain them. Upskilling opportunities can also be provided by offering mentorship programs and cross-training within the facility.
- Foster an inclusive workplace where each staff from diverse backgrounds has a sense of belonging. Implement policies to support D&I and educate your current staff on these policies.
Work-life balance is crucial in healthcare staffing, as the major causes of staff turnover are poor work-life balance and a stressful work environment.
- Ensure that the shifts are scheduled properly and adequate staff levels are maintained to prevent overworking of the pharmacists and staffing issues in the healthcare facility. Offer flexible work arrangements, which can 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.
Compliance and licensing considerations for healthcare organizations hiring pharmacists
Due to the complexity of the regulatory requirements associated with pharmacist hiring, facilities need to take proper precautionary measures to navigate all these healthcare compliance regulations and licensing challenges while hiring pharmacists. The state where your facility is located implements all the healthcare compliance regulations and guidelines for pharmacist hiring. Hence, understanding the compliance factors associated with hiring pharmacists and staying updated on the renewal of regulatory policies is the primary key to navigating the regulatory complexities. 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 mandate continuing education as a requirement for license renewal.
Having a proper system to perform detailed credentialing of the candidate can avoid possible pharmacist compliance and license issues to a greater extent. A thorough credentialing can include license verification, license renewal history, educational background, work experience history, and detailed background verification to understand whether the candidate has any criminal or drug abuse history. Whether full-time or contract hiring of pharmacists, always ensure that the terms and conditions are in line with the 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 the best practices and safety standards in your facility can further navigate any mishaps that can cause regulatory complications.
What are the license 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, with an annual average of $157,280. 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 their credentials.
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 experience as an intern pharmacist for a year or have completed 1500 hours of internship. If you are looking to hire a pharmacist who has a license from another state board, the candidate needs to submit a verification application to validate the license while 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 while hiring as having employees who can resonate with the culture and values of the facility can aid in the long-term retention of pharmacists.
- Establish programs to recognize and reward employees who have showcased exceptional progress in their career journey.
- 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. You can find the complete guide to hiring pharmacy technicians here.
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 the right pharmacists, depending on your requirements. Associating with an experienced pharmacist staffing solutions provider can relieve you from the burdensome administrative tasks related to the candidate profile screening, interviewing, credentialing, onboarding, and payrolling process. Before collaborating with an agency, you need to first understand the staff gap 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 the patient demand in your facility with the help of a cost-effective solution.
However, when you hire contractors via healthcare staffing agencies, a major drawback is the huge markup fees 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 managing 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 pharmacist hiring plans suitable for emerging drugstores, ensuring you are supported 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 pharmacists, 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 pharmacist hiring 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 top pharmacist contractors 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 100% 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
How can hiring practices impact pharmacist retention in healthcare facilities?
Hiring for long-term fit, not just credentials, can greatly improve retention. Prioritizing alignment with workplace culture, offering clear career progression, and ensuring manageable workloads from day one all influence how long pharmacists stay. A thoughtful hiring process lays the groundwork for stronger engagement and lower turnover rates.
What should I include in a pharmacist’s job description?
Job descriptions should highlight responsibilities, required qualifications, compensation details, growth opportunities, and workplace benefits. Strong employer branding can attract top talent.
Is it better to hire pharmacists full-time or on contract?
It depends on your needs. Full-time hires are great for stability, while contract roles help with 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.
