A National Analysis of the Pharmacy Workforce in Banyuasin Branch Indonesia

The study accesses and analyses data on the registration number of pharmacists across sectors of practice. It utilises a database from the National Pharmacy Committee, the professional leadership body in Indonesia.

The study found access imbalances between the population and the pharmacy workforce by geographical region, suggesting policies and strategies to recruit more pharmacists in rural areas. This is essential to ensure access to medicines expertise across the country.

Gender

The gender makeup of the pharmacy workforce is predominantly male. This pattern is consistent with the wider healthcare sector, and reflects a range of factors, including socio-economic status and access to university bachelor programmes [21].

The study also found that younger pharmacists tended to work in the industrial sectors, while older pharmacists preferred to work in governmental or educational institutions. This is likely a result of higher remuneration in these sectors, as well as a preference for stability and career progression.

While the study has provided a comprehensive overview of the Indonesian pharmacy workforce https://pafibanyuasin.org/ , further research is needed to identify emerging workforce planning gaps. This includes the development of a national pharmacy intelligence system, and the identification of barriers to a broader workforce participation, such as the lack of flexible professional development schemes for female pharmacists returning to the regulated profession after a period away from practice. It is also important to understand the reasons for low rates of license renewal, particularly among women.

Age

Together with physicians and nurses, pharmacists are a core component of the healthcare workforce in Indonesia. However, limited analysis has been conducted on the pharmacy workforce, despite its important role in achieving UHC.

In the past 25 years, the number of pharmacists in Indonesia has grown rapidly. This was due to an increase in graduate supply (Figure 1a), and also the growth of the industry markets, as well as a greater number of opportunities for pharmacists working in government institutions and industries.

There is a positive correlation between population access to pharmacy programmes and the density of pharmacists per 10 000 persons (Figure 3). This indicates that there are higher densities in Sulawesi and Java islands compared to Bali and Nusa Tenggara. This suggests that more tailored policies are needed to improve the availability and accessibility of health-related education. Furthermore, structured foundation training for new pharmacists is also required to ensure that they have a smooth transition into practice.

Education

Together with physicians and nursing-midwifery practitioners, pharmacists form the largest healthcare workforce in Indonesia. [24] However, no in-depth analysis has been conducted on the pharmacy workforce to date, despite its important role in addressing national health challenges.

This study has highlighted some key pharmacy workforce planning gaps in Indonesia. One of these is a need for structured post-license foundation training to support early career pharmacists as they progress toward advanced practice. It is also recommended that greater attention be given to supporting female pharmacists returning to the regulated workforce after taking career breaks.

Another gap identified was a low density of pharmacists per population, which is in line with international benchmarks and indicates that the Indonesian pharmacy workforce may not have sufficient capacity to provide pharmaceutical care in primary healthcare environments. The development of a comprehensive pharmacy intelligence system in Indonesia is therefore imperative to improve the availability and quality of data for workforce planning.

Employment

The Banyuasin River drains most of South Sumatra and is a major port for oil, natural gas, rubber and coal. It is also famous for its dolphin attractions and migratory birds from Siberia.

The regency is served by several public and private hospitals. The health sector is an important part of the economy, with a total expenditure of Rp 62 billion (US$5.7 million).

In addition to the hospital facilities, there are two nursing training colleges and several vocational schools. These training centers offer a variety of courses in the medical and health field, including nursing and midwifery.

One of the goals of the Banyuasin government is to provide electronic-based public services. In this context, the government has launched the Sembilang Smart City Banyuasin application. This application allows citizens to access public information and services via mobile devices. It is expected that the application will make it easier for residents to use the public services in their communities.

-- Abdul Alim - 2023-10-30

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