EAST HILLS, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE via COLLEGIATE PRESSWIRE)--Sept. 16, 2005--Despite an annual ranking by Americans as one of the most trusted of all professions, pharmacists are facing a public relations dilemma. There is a critical shortage of pharmacists in the U.S., which is expected to worsen as our population ages and as fewer people enter the profession each year. One of the reasons behind this increasing shortage is the misconception of what pharmacists do, the critical role they play in our health care system and the range of career opportunities available.
To help clear up these misconceptions, the Parenteral Drug Association Foundation for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Inc. (P.D.A. Foundation) in association with WLIW New York Public Television has produced a TV special ''Pharmacists: Unsung Heroes''. Pall Corporation (NYSE: PLL) is one of the lead sponsors of the program along with a host of corporations and non-profit associations. The 60-minute special will preview Monday, September 19, 2005 on Capitol Hill at a reception for members of the U.S. Congress and their staff, followed by airing on participating public television stations this October in conjunction with American Pharmacists Month.
''The TV program is the cornerstone of the P.D.A. Foundation`s three-year campaign to build awareness of the needs and opportunities in pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences to offset the critical shortage of pharmacists,'' says Jerold Martin, president of the P.D.A. Foundation and senior vice president of Pall Life Sciences. ''Our goals are to give viewers and students a better understanding of the important role pharmacists play in our society and to encourage more people to explore the many diverse and rewarding career opportunities it offers and enter the field.''
The pharmacist shortage is largely fueled by prescription growth and aging baby boomers. Did you know?
-- 44 percent of Americans take at least one prescription medicine and nearly 17% are taking three or more medicines, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
-- The shortage of pharmacists is most acute in high-growth states such as California, Florida and North Carolina and in rural states such as Missouri, Maine and West Virginia.
-- According to the American Pharmacists Association, there are 8,000 unfilled pharmacist jobs in hospitals, clinics and drugstores.
-- At the current level of pharmacy school enrollment, by the year 2020 there will be a shortage of 150,000 pharmacists.
-- As the population ages and with new advances in medicine, these numbers are expected to increase.
''Pall is proud to support this important initiative. For more than 40 years our technologies have enabled people to research, discover, develop, produce and deliver better medicines and therapies. Professionals in pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences are an essential part of this health care equation by helping advance medicine and serving their communities,'' adds Mr. Martin.
Other components of the P.D.A. Foundation Pharmacy Awareness Campaign include a 20-minute educator`s version of the program and teacher`s guide highlighting career opportunities for high school students, as well as a dedicated website www.gopharmacy.org (online starting Sept. 19, 2005) that provides information about the pharmacist shortage, the campaign and the many career opportunities available in the fields of pharmacy and pharmaceutical research, including links to job listings and research grants.
About Pall Corporation
Pall Corporation is the global leader in the rapidly growing field of filtration, separations and purification. Pall`s business is organized around two broad markets: Life Sciences and Industrial. The Company provides leading-edge products to meet the demanding needs of customers in biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, transfusion medicine, semiconductors, water purification, aerospace and broad industrial markets. Total revenues for fiscal 2005 were $1.9 billion. The Company headquarters are in East Hills, New York, with extensive operations throughout the world. Visit Pall at www.pall.com.
About the P.D.A. Foundation
The Parenteral Drug Association Foundation for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Inc. (P.D.A. Foundation, a 501 (c) (3) non-profit Corporation) was founded in 1979 with the mission to advance health care by identifying and supporting graduate education and research in the applied pharmaceutical sciences. Since that time, the PDA Foundation has awarded close to $2 million in support of 85 graduate students at 33 of the nation`s leading colleges, universities and medical centers. To learn more about the PDA Foundation, visit www.pdafoundation.org.
Editor`s Notes:
-- Graphics and photos available at https://www.pall.com/corporate_38277.asp
-- The reception on Capitol Hill will be held on Monday, September 19, 2005 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the Cannon Caucus Room in the Cannon House Office Building. The reception is by invitation only; interested media can contact [email protected] , 516.801.9128.
-- The first television airing of the program will be on Tuesday, October 11, 2005 at 8:00 pm on WLIW Channel 21 New York. Additional information about the campaign, the TV program and the viewing schedule can be found at www.wliw.org/pharmacists.
-- The Gallup Organization`s annual survey of most trusted professions found that pharmacists are trusted by 72 percent of Americans, making them the third most trusted profession in the United States.
-- The program and outreach campaign are produced by WLIW New York Public Television in association with Parenteral Drug Association Foundation for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Inc. (P.D.A. Foundation) and made possible in part by the following sponsors: American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy; Pfizer US Pharmaceuticals, Pfizer Inc.; American Society of Health-System Pharmacists; Monster(R); Nina Dale Demuth Fund; Roche; American Pharmacists Association; Lachman Enterprises, Inc.; Pall Corporation; Wyeth Pharmaceuticals.
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