As 2 in 5 hospitals report shortages of clinical pharmacists, the American Hospital Association on Feb. 20 urged the Labor Department to simplify the hiring process for immigrant pharmacists.
In a letter to the department's Office of Foreign Labor Certification, the AHA said the Schedule A Shortage Occupation List should be expanded to include physicians and pharmacists.
The Schedule A list was created in 1965 to simplify the process of hiring international workers through allowing immigrants with sponsored work visas to forgo permanent labor certifications. Schedule A accelerates the immigrant visa process for occupations with persistent shortages, according to the letter.
The list has not been updated since 2004, and it still includes only nurses and physical therapists.
Multiple forecasts show a downturn in available pharmacists and physicians over the next few years. By 2034, the Association of American Medical Colleges estimates a shortage of between 37,800 and 124,000 physicians in the U.S. Also, there has been a downturn in applications for pharmacy schools and residency programs as hospital pharmacy departments already struggle to hire enough staff.
Immigrant healthcare workers are highly qualified and are more likely to work longer hours, work at night and live in medically underserved communities than U.S.-born workers, the AHA said, suggesting that add-ons to the Schedule A list can improve healthcare outcomes.
Read more about the shortages in hospital pharmacy teams here.