This year's graduates from Kansas University's School of Pharmacy not only shouldn't have trouble finding jobs, they should find the offers more attractive than ever.
"It's the sign of the times," said Jack Fincham, School of Pharmacy dean.
A national shortage of pharmacists is driving up salaries being offered to this year's graduates. One of the reasons is an aging population and the need to fill more prescriptions.
"In Kansas our population of people over the age of 65 is above the national average," Fincham said.
During a recent career fair sponsored by the School of Pharmacy, 54 employers showed up a record number, Fincham said. Nationally, salary offers for new pharmacists are in the $75,000 range and above. Similar offers are being seen at KU, Fincham said.
While some pharmacy schools in recent years have seen a decrease in student applications, enrollment at KU's School of Pharmacy has held steady. There are 480 students at the school, Fincham said.
Demand isn't just in the retail sector, according to Fincham. There also is demand for pharmacists in hospitals and in the monitoring of dispensing drugs, he said. Not all pharmacy grads go for big money offers in Kansas' more urban areas, Fincham said. Many of them have been willing to go to jobs in the rural areas of Kansas, he said.
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