AN EXAMINATION OF THE STATE OF PHARMACEUTICAL HUMAN RESOURCES IN CENTRAL HIGHLANDS DISTRICT HOSPITALS AS OF 2022

Introduction: Improving the quality of healthcare human resources, particularly pharmacists, is vital for community health care in the Central Highlands region. Challenges in infrastructure and human resources make enhancing the pharmaceutical workforce an urgent task. Objectives: To analyze the distribution and structure of the pharmaceutical workforce in district-level hospitals and health centers in the Central Highlands, assess disparities, and provide recommendations to address shortages. Subjects and methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted on 724 pharmaceutical personnel across 69 district-level general hospitals in the Central Highlands provinces as of December 31, 2022. Results: Pharmacists with university degrees or higher accounted for 33.3%, while pharmacy technicians with associate degrees (DCĐ), secondary-level qualifications (TCD), and assistant pharmacists (DT) made up 62.7%. Assistant pharmacists represented 0.6%. Imbalances in personnel distribution were evident between urban and rural areas. Ratios of pharmacists to doctors, beds, and hospitals were below the standards specified in Circular No. 03/2023/TT-BYT. On average, each hospital had 3.9 pharmacists, with shortages most acute in Kon Tum and Dak Lak. Conclusion: The Central Highlands region faces significant challenges in the structure and number of its pharmaceutical workforce. Pharmacists with higher qualifications are limited, with most personnel being pharmacy technicians. There is a marked imbalance in workforce distribution between urban and rural areas. Policies are needed to attract and develop pharmaceutical personnel to meet healthcare demands in this region.