14 15
.................................................................................
The relationship of workforce with economic indicators is also shown by mapping pharmacists per capita with World Bank classification. There is a linear association with standardised pharmacist numbers and World Bank classification (Figure 3.6). There are demographic similarities with the lower-middle and upper-middle categories, but large differences between low income and high income. The gap between pharmacists and pharmacies also increases with economic income, perhaps as a result of greater role opportunities for pharmacists in high-income nations. The density of pharmacies is greater than that of pharmacists in low-income countries and territories, suggesting medicines access and supply challenges in these economic environments.
.................................................................................
World Bank classification
High-income EconomiesUpper-middle-income Economies
Lower-middle-income Economies
Low-income Economies
M ea
n (+
/- 95
% C
I)
12.0
10.0
8.0
6.0
4.0
2.0
0.0
Density pharmacies per 10,000 Density pharmacists per 10,000
Figure 3.6. Pharmacists and pharmacies by World Bank income level categories (n=80 countries and territories)
.................................................................................
Total licensed pharmacist frequencies may not be representative of the active workforce. Survey data captured frequencies of active establishment and compared this with total registrants (expressed as a ratio of active:registered ). The ratio of actively practicing pharmacists to registered is described in Figure 3.7. The proportion of pharmacists that are actively practicing ranges from 8% to 100% (n=69 countries and territories). There are significant mean differences between WHO regions in this ratio, with Southeast Asia and Western Pacific having the lowest means, and the Americas and Europe having the highest (Table 3.2). It is important to consider discrepancies between the practicing and registered workforce to obtain greater accuracy in workforce planning.
.................................................................................
Figure 3.7. Ratio of active to total pharmacist workforce by country (n=69 countries and territories)
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Sample mean
WHO Region (sample n) Mean ratio SD Minimum Maximum
Africa (16) .80 .18 .45 1.00
Americas (6) .92 .06 .88 1.00
Eastern Mediterranean (4) .85 .18 .58 1.00
Western Pacific (11) .65 .24 .37 .98
SE Asia (4) .47 .39 .08 1.00
Europe (19) .84 .16 .38 1.00
(ANOVA, F=2.34, p=0.034)
Table 3.2. Active: Registered workforce ratios by WHO region.