A 2023 Washington State pharmacist workforce survey: Employment and patient care roles

The pharmacy workforce is evolving rapidly, and while national data reveal broad trends, they often overlook the impact of state-level policies on local pharmacy practice and education.

To describe employment status and patient care roles of pharmacists in Washington State.

A cross-sectional survey of pharmacists licensed in Washington State was conducted in June-July 2023. The survey assessed participants' personal and professional demographics; employment status, including changes in employment status since 2020 and consideration of a change in the next 12 months; and patient care roles, including time spent in patient care roles and services provided. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics.

We received 856 responses (10.6% response rate) and 810 responses were included in the final analysis. Participants' median age was 43 years. Most participants were female (64%) and White (73%). Over 3-quarters of participants reported practicing in community (37%), hospital (27%), and/or ambulatory care/clinic (21%) settings. Over one-third of participants (39%) reported a job or employment change since 2020 and 17% reported they were considering a job or employment change in the next 12 months. The 5 most frequently reported patient care services were medication education or counseling (83%), medication dispensing (70%), prescribing via a collaborative drug therapy agreement or protocol (59%), medication therapy management (53%), and medication reconciliation (52%).

This study offers important insights into pharmacist employment and practice in Washington State. Certain trends in Washington State, particularly in pharmacist employment shifts within clinic settings and patient care roles such as prescribing and medication education, stand out when compared to national patterns. These findings highlight the importance of ongoing state-level workforce assessments to guide educational strategies and the supply of pharmacists with local needs.