Future-Proofing Pharmacy: A Stakeholder-Informed Forecast of Workforce and Education Needs

Pharmacy education and workforce development are undergoing significant disruption. While national forecasts outline key directions, they lack granularity and stakeholder validation. This study aimed to develop a stakeholder-informed, data-driven forecast of pharmacy strategic priorities through 2035. Objectives were: (1) identify key themes shaping pharmacy's future, (2) align these themes with national priorities, and (3) forecast their trajectory and readiness to inform strategic planning.

A mixed-methods design integrated qualitative analysis of 27 stakeholder focus groups and eight interviews with trend modeling and policy triangulation. Participants (n = 148) represented students, faculty, preceptors, administrators, professional organizations, payors, interprofessional educators, and transformation leaders. Transcripts were coded using grounded theory and analyzed for themes. Identified themes were aligned with the 2024 American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy and 2024 American Society of Health-System Pharmacy Forecast reports. Historical emphasis scores (2015-2024) were modeled using linear regression to project thematic growth through 2035. Each theme was rated for system readiness based on stakeholder insight and national preparedness indicators.

Ten core themes emerged: Workforce Shortages/Accessibility, Digital Health/Technology, Competency-Based Education (CBE), Public Health/Prevention, Medication Safety/Optimization, Interprofessional Collaboration, Patient-Centered Care, Leadership/Advocacy, Professional Identity/Perception, and Business/Financial Acumen. Convergent themes like Workforce Shortages, Public Health, and Medication Safety were validated by national forecasts and reflected high stakeholder urgency. Digital Health and CBE showed the steepest forecasted growth slopes but were marked by low readiness. A strategic prioritization matrix was developed to guide policy and curricular responses based on urgency, growth, and readiness.

This study offers a novel, future-facing framework to guide the transformation of pharmacy education and workforce strategy. High-priority, low-readiness themes require urgent investment. Strategic scaffolds such as leadership, identity, and business acumen, though underemphasized, are critical to sustaining innovation. Pharmacy must reimagine itself as a lifelong, adaptable profession, equipped not only to respond to change but to lead it.