An analysis of the global pharmacy workforce capacity

Area of Science:

• Pharmacy Workforce Analysis
• Global Health Equity
• Healthcare Human Resources

Background:

• The World Health Organization (WHO) projects a global healthcare worker shortage of 12.9 million by 2035.
• An aging global population with multiple co-morbidities increases demand for medicines and healthcare services.
• Pharmacists are a crucial, accessible healthcare profession globally.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify key issues and trends affecting the global pharmacy workforce.
• To analyze workforce distribution, economic factors, capacity, and gender balance.
• To assess global pharmacy workforce capacity and its correlation with economic indicators.

Main Methods:

• Data collected from national professional pharmacy leadership bodies, regulatory bodies, and universities across 89 countries/territories.
• Descriptive and comparative analysis of country-level pharmacy workforce data.
• Standardized capacity measure using pharmacists per 10,000 population.

Main Results:

• Significant variation in pharmacist density globally, from 0.02 (Somalia) to 25.07 (Malta) per 10,000 population.
• African nations exhibit significantly lower pharmacist-to-population ratios.
• Pharmacist density positively correlates with Gross National Income (GNI) and health expenditure.
• Majority of pharmacists work in community settings; females constitute a growing majority globally.

Conclusions:

• Pharmacy workforce capacity is highly variable globally and linked to economic indicators.
• Lower economic indicators correlate with fewer pharmacists and pharmacy technicians.
• Disparities in pharmacy workforce capacity raise concerns about equitable access to medicines and pharmaceutical expertise.