If you've had trouble getting prescriptions filled, you're not alone. North Texas is in the midst of a major shortage of pharmacists. The crisis is prompting some unusual steps to fill the labor gap. It's not just about taking orders and counting doses at Dougherty's Pharmacy in Dallas.
Pharmacists actually practice science by mixing their own drugs.
That's what enticed pharmacist technician Mary Felton to work here. I'm just doing the mad scientist thing and coming up with formulas. It takes seven full-time pharmacists plus back up staff to keep up with 19,000 prescriptions Dougherty's fills each month. Business gets more hectic all the time. According to the Texas State Board of Pharmacy, there's a shortage of some 1,100 pharmacists statewide.