Pharmaceutical workforce demographics

Abstract

The World Health Organization (WHO) highlights the essential role of a skilled healthcare workforce in enabling efficient healthcare delivery. The global workforce of pharmacists faces significant challenges, including shortages and increasing demands for pharmaceutical care, influenced by demographic changes and evolving healthcare needs. This study aimed to analyse the demographic trends of the pharmaceutical workforce in Malta and compare these findings with those from selected countries. The study utilised an analysis employing descriptive and comparative research methodologies. Primary data were sourced from the Pharmacy Council of Malta, while secondary data were obtained from reputable organisations, including national pharmacy councils and health ministry reports. Data handling employed frequency distributions and computations of means and percentages to assess demographic characteristics. The research encompassed the entire population of registered pharmacists in Malta, with a comparative analysis performed against the pharmacist workforce in selected international countries: New Zealand, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, and Nigeria. The main outcome measures included the distribution of pharmacists by sector, age demographics, gender composition, qualification status, and pharmacist density per 10,000 population. The results revealed a pharmacist density of 27.09 per 10,000 population in Malta, highlighting a significant representation in community pharmacy, which constituted 38.31% of the workforce. A substantial percentage of pharmacists (93.10%) underwent local training, and the workforce exhibited a marked female majority (64.39%). Comparative analysis indicated that Malta's trends align with global patterns in gender representation; however, disparities exist in workforce density and sectoral deployment when compared to countries like Nigeria (0.96 per 10,000) and New Zealand (8.00 per 10,000). This study offers insights into the demographic trends of the pharmaceutical workforce in Malta, emphasising key characteristics such as a strong community pharmacy sector, a majority of locally trained pharmacists, and a relatively young workforce. The comparative analysis highlights Malta's alignment with international trends in gender representation and underscores the higher density of pharmacist in Malta compared to most selected nations, indicating the country's strong commitment to accessible pharmaceutical services.