Key priorities and challenges in pharmaceutical professional education and training systems across 21 selected countries are shared in a new FIP report today. The report, part of FIP's Multinational Needs Assessment Programme, aims to shape evidence-based policies for workforce development aligned with FIP’s 21 Development Goals. It also highlights systems, tools and mechanisms available to support global workforce transformation, in line with the FIP Brisbane Calls to Actions launched on the fifth anniversary of the 2018 Astana Declaration on Primary Health Care.

Findings identify priority areas such as people-centred care and patient safety while highlighting challenges in sustaining pharmacy professional numbers and advocating for specialised training globally. “Our findings highlight the importance of capacity building and competency development in improving the overall quality of pharmaceutical healthcare delivery. The next phase of this project will involve design and delivery of an education and training intervention, and its evaluation,” said Ian Bates, director, FIP Global Pharmaceutical Observatory. The intelligence provided by the report can also be used by FIP members to better evaluate their situation compared to other countries and align national interventions to address identified gaps.