About this episode
Is There a Pharmacist Shortage? CNN and Forbes reported this week, January 30th - February 1st, through two different stories about a staffing issue due to a shortage of pharmacists throughout the country. The statistics released by the US Department of Labor in fall of 2022 show that the total number of active pharmacists in the United States rose to a new record high of 315,470. Today's guests are Alex C. Varkey, PharmD, MS, FAPhA APhA President-elect Designate; Director of Pharmacy Services at Houston Methodist Hospital - Texas Medical Center and Dr. Swathi Varanasi, PharmD Integrative Health Pharmacist. Alex discusses the American Pharmacists Association stance on the subject of pharmacist shortages and Swathi discusses the changing roles of the pharmacist and her business Element Apothec. Dr. Swathi Varanasi, or Dr. Swathi for short, is a bilingual pharmacist specializing in integrative and preventative health. Dr. Swathi has paved the way for other healthcare professionals to pursue non-traditional career paths through creating postdoctoral training programs, industry internships, and online courses. She is a speaker, author, and co-founder of the international award-winning plant-based wellness and skincare brand, Elēment Apothēc.