尽管在美国，药剂师明显短缺，但伊利诺伊州面临着双重问题，既是药剂师短缺，又是全州药剂师分布不均。预计这些趋势在可预见的未来还将继续。伊利诺伊州劳动力信息中心预计，由于就业和退休人数的增加，全州每年平均会减少730名药剂师职位。其中，约有350个职位将位于芝加哥地区，其余职位将遍及全州。在农村地区，获得医疗服务的机会往往很有限，因此对药剂师的需求很高。农村药学服务的集中，也称为农村药学教育计划（简称RPHARM），是药学博士学位课程的一种选择。RPHARM计划的目的是教育学生有关农村社区所面临的独特挑战和机
While there is a clear shortage of pharmacists in the United States, Illinois faces a dual problem, both a pharmacist shortage and the maldistribution of pharmacists across the state. These trends are predicted to continue for the foreseeable future. The Illinois Workforce Information Center projects an annual average shortfall of 730 pharmacist positions statewide, due to increases in both employment and retirement. Of these, approximately 350 positions will be in the Chicagoland area and the remainder will be spread throughout the state. Demand for pharmacists is often high in rural communities where access to medical services may be limited. The concentration in rural pharmacy services, also known as the Rural Pharmacy Education Program (RPHARM for short), is an option within the Doctor of Pharmacy degree program. The goal of the RPHARM Program is to educate students about the unique challenges and opportunities present in rural communities and to prepare them to practice pharmacy in a patient-center and interprofessional manner.