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A projected shortage of trained staff in the years ahead demands looking beyond normal hiring channels.
Brandi Ollerman, PharmD, may fill prescriptions for a living, but she has had challenges filling certified pharmacy technician positions.
As the owner of both The Medicine Shoppe and The Clinic Pharmacy in Dickinson, North Dakota, Ollerman knew that the requirement of accredited schooling intimidated many potential candidates. And those local youth who were interested would generally head to the eastern part of the state for their certification courses, snag a job offer, and never return.
So, a few years ago, she embraced a new strategy: Hire clerks first, get them interested in the pharmacy world, and then train some of them to become technicians. That last element became possible when her pharmacies partnered with the Roughrider Area Career and Technology Center, which facilitates job training opportunities in Dickinson and southwest North Dakota. In partnership with eLearning leader MedCerts, the center sponsored a pharmacy technician program to offer accelerated certification to students at local high schools.
“We have students come in and work as clerks during their junior year so they can familiarize themselves with the pharmacy. When they’re seniors, they can enroll in the program to earn their technician certification in about 36 weeks instead of the typical span of 2 years,” Ollerman said. “We want to offer them an alternative to college and also keep our students in our communities.”
Pharmacy technicians have always been part of pharmacies’ workflow, supporting the pharmacist and ensuring the safe and effective use of medications. More recently though, their role has expanded, becoming more collaborative and patient centered.
“Giving pharmacy technicians a chance to work at the top of their license not only makes them a more crucial part of our team, but offers them opportunities for advancement,” Ollerman said.
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Pharmacies, hospitals, and other medical facilities are increasingly seeing the value of partnering with schools to fill a void in employment while offering local students a viable path toward a health care career. The American Hospital Association estimates that by 2026, there could be a shortage of up to 3.2 million health care workers.1 A decline in undergraduate college enrollment, rising tuition costs and fallout from the recent pandemic have exacerbated this crisis.2
Virtual education programs, which focus on providing certifications and college credits in high-demand sectors such as health care and information technology, are bridging the gap. With accessible and effective tools like high-definition video-based instruction, virtual simulations, and other digital experiences, joined with externships and on-the-job training, eLearning programs are gaining momentum. School districts are concurrently bringing eLearning programs into their curriculums, allowing students to graduate with both a high school diploma and an industry certification, giving them a head start in a career with an abbreviated time commitment and minimal debt.
For students, financial support is also a strong motivating factor. The pharmacy technician program in southwest North Dakota is funded by a grant submitted by the Roughrider Area Career and Technology Center as well as another grant Ollerman applied for and received. She has sponsored 11 students through the program, with another 2 enrolled this fall while offering the same opportunity to several regular employees who have evolved from clerical roles to pharmacy technicians. Some have gone on to pursue traditional pharmacy school to become pharmacists.
Students who go through the program quickly discover the engagement of being a pharmacy technician. In North Dakota, technicians perform essential day-to-day duties such as assisting pharmacists with preparing and dispensing medications, compounding, giving vaccinations, and managing inventory to keep the business running smoothly. Program graduates, many of whom had no previous interest in pharmacy, say that it’s opened new career doors and improved their lives.
Dickinson resident Rylie Dohrmann began the program during her junior year in high school and worked at the Medicine Shoppe and Clinic Pharmacy. “I didn’t think I was interested in pharmacy, but I saw Brandi had the opportunity to work as a clerk. I didn’t know that becoming a tech was an option. Then she told me about the program,” she said.
That unexpected opportunity proved fruitful. Although Dohrmann said it is beneficial that students can have a career as a pharmacy tech without going to a traditional college, that’s the path she has pursued. Dohrmann has enrolled in school to become a pharmacist and continues to work at the Medicine Shoppe and Clinic Pharmacy during her summers at home. The program, she says, “gave me the confidence that pharmacy is what I wanted to go into.”
The best first step for students, especially those uncertain of their career path, is speaking with a school guidance counselor. They are generally knowledgeable about occupational programs offered by their school and how to enroll. They can also help students identify local job sectors needing part-time workers. The internet provides a wellspring of information that can further identify opportunities and shape decisions.
Jennifer Kolb is vice president of partnerships and workforce development at MedCerts, a national online training provider focused on certifications in the high-demand areas of health care and IT. Established in 2009, MedCerts now partners with more than 70 academic institutions and 1000 health care organizations nationwide to provide innovative eLearning solutions that help students evolve into new job opportunities and help employers find qualified candidates.
For schools, initiatives like the pharmacy technician program provide students with skills that many would not have been able to attain otherwise. Rural areas can help students find opportunities and fill a need in the community by forging relationships with local companies that offer training in various fields. Schools can make students aware via career days, by welcoming these organizations on campus, and through robust messaging on the school’s website.
For health care providers, a projected shortage of trained staff in the years ahead demands looking beyond normal hiring channels. Valuable partnerships, such as those with local career facilitators, schools, and eLearning providers, can fill the gap through accelerated training that streamlines the growth of entry-level workers into high-demand positions. For small health care businesses outside the resources of major cities, a proactive approach is the right medicine.
Ollerman, who currently employs 22 workers across both of her pharmacies, sees the benefits of offering career opportunities, contributing to the local economy, and supporting her community’s health care system. “It’s been wonderful for pharmacies just to get students interested, those who didn’t know there was a career in pharmacy, to allow them to see and experience it first-hand,” she said.
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