Missouri Helps with Pharmacist Shortage

The University of Missouri-Columbia(MU) and the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) are workingtogether to decrease the pharmacistshortage in the state. Missouri has thefifth highest demand for pharmacistsin the nation, according to the PharmacyManpower Project.

UMKC is the only public pharmacyschool in Missouri. Students can nowtake classes on the MU-Columbia campusand earn their pharmacy degreefrom UMKC. The first 28 studentsaccepted into the satellite programshould graduate in 5 years with theirdoctorate of pharmacy. The program isa combination of classes already availableat MU and courses offered viasatellite from UMKC.

"A pharmacist must be very knowledgeable;it is certainly far more thancounting pills," said Kevin Rudeen, assistantdean of MU's School of Health Professions."People are taking more andmore medications, and in many casesthe physicians are not aware of everymedication a patient has been prescribedto take. A pharmacist mustreview all the latest information in orderto prevent serious drug interactions."