SAN DIEGO -- The explosion of new prescription drugs and an aging baby boomer population is creating a need for more pharmacists, 10News reported.

Independent and chain pharmacies, as well as hospitals and nursing homes, are scrambling to find people to fill orders.

But there may not be enough people to keep up with the pace.

Every day in San Diego, pharmacists fill thousands of prescriptions. But have you noticed your wait at the pharmacy is getting longer?

Here is the reason.

By the year 2020, it's predicted there will be a shortage of more than 150,000 pharmacists nationwide and that not only means longer lines but also fewer pharmacies in your neighborhood.

Susan Yee is among 24 student pharmacists who will be the first to graduate from UCSD's new Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.

"There are so many opportunities," Yee said.

Yee and her classmates are not worried about finding a job when they graduate. They will be able to pick and choose from where they want to work and live, including jobs with possible starting salaries of at least $80,000 a year.

"There are a lot of opportunities out there -- anything from good pay to extremely good pay," said Daniel Ford, a student pharmacist.

Blame the shortage on an aging population and more drugs being manufactured and advertised to the public, the number of prescriptions has increased from 2 billion to 3.2 billion in the last decade.

And it is only going to get worse.

"The pharmacists that we are training now will be in pharmacy practice for 30 or 40 more years. We have to train them not only how to think today, but to think what might happen in the future," said Dr. Charles Daniels, UCSD's chief pharmacist.

Around the country, including San Diego, universities are opening new pharmacy schools or expanding existing programs.

Daniels said he has received 1,000 applications for only 60 slots. But it likely will take years for supply to meet demand.

"We get calls all the time from people asking when the class graduates and how many students are going to be graduating this year," Daniels said.

Neighborhood chain pharmacies and hospitals like UCSD are all feeling the pinch. But the future pharmacists are eager to fill the void.

Pharmacists do more than just fill prescriptions. They are used as therapeutic consultants in hospitals, outpatient clinics and home health care settings.

UCSD's Skaggs School of Pharmacy is expanding its existing program.

For more information, visit UCSD's Skaggs School of Pharmacy Web site.