France needs 15,000 pharmacists to fill gap

PARIS

France is facing a shortage of pharmacists and is urgently seeking to recruit 15,000, the head of the country's pharmacy federation said Sunday.

Two-thirds of pharmacies in France face staff shortages, Philippe Bresset, president of the Federation of Pharmaceutical Unions of France (FSPF)​​​​​​​, told France Inter radio.

He noted that the gap cannot be filled due to a lack of new replacements for retired pharmacists.

Meanwhile, there is also a shortage of 1,100 students in pharmacy faculties across the country, local media reported.

Additionally, hospitals are experiencing a shortage of doctors and nurses due to the COVID-19 outbreak, while pharmacies are also facing difficulty in supplying medicines.