As baby boomers get older and more patients are treated with medication out of the hospital, the need for pharmacists is going up.

This is causing a pharmacist shortage not only nationwide, but also, right here in Missouri.

Missouri State University is in the works of getting a pharmacy program in response to the shortage.

MSU's president Mike Nietzel said he is following suit with the statewide effort to try to curb the problem.

Right now, there are no pharmacy schools in southwest Missouri, and one local pharmacy in Hollister knows first hand about the need for pharmacists.

Pharmacist and owner of Branson drug, Heather Burney, said having a lack of pharmacists has hit close to home.

"That is a concern especially as a pharmacy owner. You want to get people that are great pharmacists, especially if you do specialty services, like we do with compounding. It's hard. That narrows your field down even more to get those equipped pharmacists in here," Burney said.

Not only does a shortage put a crunch on pharmacies, but also the patients.

"If pharmacists are spending most of their time dispensing drugs, it takes away from their opportunity to be face to face with patients and help them make sure they have positive drug outcomes," Travis Fitzwater from the Missouri Pharmacy Association said.

Experts said the problem is baby boomers are getting older and that translates into more demand.

"The trend in health care is that many more people are living longer. They're staying out of hospital with medications, so because of that, the need for outpatient prescription medicine has increased dramatically," Burney said.

But, more demand also means more money for future pharmacists whose salaries can average about $100,000 a year.

"Because of that shortage and people competing for that pharmacist, people getting out of school have a lot of opportunities," Burney said.

People going into school could soon have a pharmacy school option here in the Ozarks at MSU.

"We are looking at the possibility of bringing UMKC Pharm D program, and extending it to Springfield and Missouri State University," Nietzel said.

Right now, the possibility of a pharmacy program at MSU is just in the discussion stages.

If it goes to plan, Nietzel said the soonest a program could start at MSU would be Fall 2009.

Burney said the Ozarks needs a pharmacy program.