Local 12: CVS, Walmart cut pharmacy hours due to staffing issues
UC expert says College of Pharmacy enrollment on positive trajectory
Walmart and CVS recently announced it is going to cut or shift pharmacy hours due to staffing issues, and Walgreens has already done so.
Kelly Epplen, associate dean of student affairs and admissions at the University of Cincinnati's James L. Winkle College of Pharmacy, told Local 12 pharmacy school enrollment numbers dropped about a decade ago after the job market became saturated. But now that trend is starting to shift, in part due to students being inspired to enter the profession after seeing pharmacists on the front line of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"As tragic as COVID has been globally and in our communities, pharmacists have really stepped it up and established their vital role in public health," Epplen said. "I see an upward tick and a positive trajectory."
Related Stories
What Is Public Health Nursing? Career path and whether it’s right for you
April 6, 2026
When nurses consider graduate school, many immediately think of becoming a nurse practitioner. But there is another advanced path that is growing in demand, one focused not on treating individual patients, but on improving the health of entire communities: public health nursing.
What is the 'cicada' COVID variant?
April 6, 2026
A formerly rare strain of COVID, BA.3.2, now is showing up in Ohio and 24 other states. Experts say so far it hasn't caused illness any more severe than other strains, but it might be somewhat more resistant to vaccines, as 91.7 WVXU News recently reported. Scientists have nicknamed the variant "cicada" due to its former low profile and current resurgence.
UC opens zebrafish research facility to study infertility
April 6, 2026
The University of Cincinnati is launching a state-of-the-art zebrafish research facility that scientists say could help explain how environmental toxins affect fertility, as WKRC-TV/Local 12 and WLWT-TV/Ch. 5 recently reported.