More prescriptions than ever are being filled, but the number of pharmacists isn't keeping up with the demand.

        For that reason, some Ohio stores — including CVS, Big Bear, Kmart and Rite Aid — have been curtailing pharmacy hours in the past six months, usually in the evenings or on weekends.

        “I've been in the business 35 years and ... (until now) I've never seen pharmacy closings because they didn't have the manpower,” said Phil Lutz, pharmacist at the Big Bear supermarket in Grove City, south of Columbus.

        He supervises a staff of three pharmacists that fills 1,300 to 1,400 prescriptions each week. Since late winter, he and his staff have picked up customers from Big Bear stores in Circleville, Washington Court House and southwest Franklin County that had pharmacy hours cut.

        A half-dozen pharmacists and drug-store managers in Greater Cincinnati reached Sunday declined comment on the staffing issue and referred questions to corporate offices.

        Central Ohio pharmacy operators say unscheduled closings are better and safer than having pharmacists work beyond their limits and possibly making errors.

        The Health and Human Services Department reports than the number of prescriptions filled increased 44 percent in seven years — from 1.9 billion in 1992 to 2.8 billion in 1999.

        The report said the increase meant a 32 percent growth in the workload for each pharmacist — from 17,400 prescriptions per pharmacist in 1992 to nearly 23,000 in 1999. Information from the National Association of Chain Drug Stores showed a similar trend.

        “You should see the hours these guys work — 70 to 84 hours a week, filling 300 prescriptions a day,” said Akron attorney Dennis Thompson, who represents two former CVS pharmacists who are suing the chain, requesting overtime pay for themselves and all other CVS pharmacists.

        Further complicating matters is a change in pharmacy education, which has gone from a five- year to a six-year program.

        The extended requirements are reducing the supply of new pharmacists. At the same time, the number of applicants to pharmacy schools dropped by one-third between 1994 and 1999.

        Ohio State University's pharmacy school, which will graduate its first class of students under the new requirements next June, is feeling the enrollment slowdown. The school's dean, John Cassady, said the school wasn't able to recruit enough students last year to fill classroom seats.

        “Pharmacy in general has been pretty good in aligning supply with demand,” he said. “I've been in pharmacy education for 30 years and this is the worst I've seen.”

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