Top

Human Resources for Health

Published in:

Open Access 01-12-2018 | Research

The status of licensed pharmacy workforce in Saudi Arabia: a 2030 economic vision perspective

Authors: Yazed AlRuthia, Mohammad A. Alsenaidy, Haitham K. Alrabiah, Abdullah AlMuhaisen, Mohammad Alshehri

Published in: Human Resources for Health | Issue 1/2018

Abstract

Background

The economy of Saudi Arabia is currently undergoing a major transformation which will have an impact on employment in the pharmacy sector. However, quantitative data characterizing the pharmacy workforce in the Kingdom are currently not available. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the current status of the licensed pharmacy workforce in the pharmacy field in Saudi Arabia.

Methods

Descriptive statistics were performed on data from the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCFHS) as of March 2017.

Results

The labor market for pharmacists in Saudi Arabia is dominated by expatriates. Saudi nationals constitute less than 20% of the pharmacists employed in the Kingdom. The underemployment of Saudis is most evident in the largest sectors of the pharmacy field, namely, private health care establishments, community pharmacies, and pharmaceutical companies.

Conclusion

There is an unmet need to train Saudi citizens as pharmacists and retain them in the workforce. Addressing this issue should become an important objective in Saudi Arabia’s Vision for 2030.

Kheir N, Zaidan M, Younes H, El Hajj M, Wilbur K, Jewesson PJ. Pharmacy education and practice in 13 Middle Eastern countries. Am J Pharm Educ. 2008;72:133.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Bin Saleh G, Rezk NL, Laika L, Ali A, El-Metwally A. Pharmacist, the pharmaceutical industry and pharmacy education in Saudi Arabia: a questionnaire-based study. Saudi Pharm J. 2015;23:573–80.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Ministry of Health. Statistical Yearbook 1437H. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. 2015. https://www.moh.gov.sa/en/Ministry/Statistics/book/Documents/StatisticalBook-1436.pdf. Accessed 24 Aug 2017.

Ministry of Health. Achievements. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. 2017. https://www.moh.gov.sa/en/Documents/Facts%20%20Achievements%20Layout-%20final%20-Email%20(sQ).pdf. Accessed 24 Aug 2017.

Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia 2017. http://www.vision2030.gov.sa/en/ntp. Accessed 24 Aug 2017.

Ahmed Al-Asfour A, Khan SA. Workforce localization in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: issues and challenges. Hum Resour Dev Int. 2014;17:243–53.CrossRef

Mahayni Z, Mahayni Z. The new implementing regulations to the Saudi Arabian labor law. MONDAQ. 2016; http://www.mondaq.com/saudiarabia/x/489208/employee+rights+labour+relations/The+New+Implementing+Regulations+To+The+Saudi+Arabian+Labor+Law. Accessed 31 Aug 2017

Sadi MA. The implementation process of nationalization of workforce in Saudi Arabian private sector: a review of “Nitaqat scheme”. AJBM. 2013;2:37–45.CrossRef

Atiyyah HS. Expatriate acculturation in Arab gulf countries. J Manag Dev. 1996;15:37–47.CrossRef

10.

Fakeeh MS. Saudization as a solution for unemployment. The case of Jeddah Western Region. PhD thesis, University of Glasgow, UK. 2009. https://ncys.ksu.edu.sa/sites/ncys.ksu.edu.sa/files/emp24_5.PDF. Accessed 31 Aug 2017.

11.

Unlisted author. Recruitment challenges in Saudi Arabia linked with Saudization and Nitaqat. Bakkah. 2017. https://bakkah.net.sa/ar/recruitment-challenges-in-saudi-arabia-linked-with-saudization-and-nitaqat/. Accessed 31 Aug 2017.

12.

Unlisted author. Saudization forces 212,000 businesses to close down. Arab News. 2014. http://www.arabnews.com/news/677121. Accessed 31 Aug 2017.

13.

Aljadhey H, Asiri Y, Albogami Y, Spratto G, Alshehri M. Pharmacy education in Saudi Arabia: a vision of the future. Saudi Pharm J. 2017;25:88–92.CrossRefPubMed

14.

Alomi YA. New pharmacy model for vision 2030 in Saudi Arabia. JPPCM. 2017;3:194–6.CrossRef

15.

Accredited International Programs. CCAPP. 2018. Available from: http://ccapp-accredit.ca/international-programs/list-of-international-programs/. Accessed 1 Apr 2018.

16.

Francis J, Abraham S. Clinical pharmacists: bridging the gap between patients and physicians. Saudi Pharm J. 2014;22:600–2.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

17.

Aljadhey H. Experience and future of introductory pharmacy practice training in developing countries: example of Saudi Arabia. Am J Pharm Educ. 2012;76:205.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

18.

Clinical Pharmacy Residency Programs. 2018. http://www.scfhs.org.sa/en/MESPS/TrainingProgs/TrainingProgsStatement/ClinicalPharmacy/Documents/Program%20Booklit.pdf. Accessed 1 Apr 2018.

19.

Online Residency Directory. American Society of Health System Pharmacists. 2018. https://accred.ashp.org/aps/pages/directory/residencyProgramSearch.aspx. Accessed 1 April 2018.

20.

Alhamoudi A, Alnattah A. Pharmacy education in Saudi Arabia: the past, the present, and the future. Curr Pharm Teach Learn. 2018;10:54–60.CrossRefPubMed

21.

The World Bank. Labor force, female. 2017. https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SL.TLF.TOTL.FE.ZS. Accessed 31 Augt 2017.

22.

Alsheikh HM. Current progress in the nationalisation programmes in Saudi Arabia. 2015. http://cadmus.eui.eu/bitstream/handle/1814/34580/GLMM_ExpNote_02_2015.pdf?sequence=1. Accessed 31 Aug 2017.

23.

Alghamedi A. Enhancing employment opportunities in the Saudi Arabian private sector. Ed.D. Thesis, Pepperdine University. 2016. https://pqdtopen.proquest.com/pubnum/10250406.html. Accessed 31 Aug 2017.

24.

Saudi Commission for Health Specialties. Guideline of Professional Classification and Registration of Health Practitioners. 2014. https://www.scfhs.org.sa/en/registration/ClassAndRegister/Reregister/Documents/Professional%20Classification%20manual%20for%20Health%20Practitioners.pdf. Accessed 6 Sept 2017.

25.

Sultana K, Al Jeraisy M, Al Ammari M, Patel R, Zaidi ST. Attitude, barriers and facilitators to practice-based research: cross-sectional survey of hospital pharmacists in Saudi Arabia. J Pharm Policy Pract. 2016;9:4.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Title: The status of licensed pharmacy workforce in Saudi Arabia: a 2030 economic vision perspective
Authors: Yazed AlRuthia
Mohammad A. Alsenaidy
Haitham K. Alrabiah
Abdullah AlMuhaisen
Mohammad Alshehri
Publication date: 01-12-2018
Publisher: BioMed Central
Published in: Human Resources for Health / Issue 1/2018
Electronic ISSN: 1478-4491
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12960-018-0294-8

At a glance: The ONWARDS insulin icodec trials

Springer Medicine

The status of licensed pharmacy workforce in Saudi Arabia: a 2030 economic vision perspective

Abstract

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusion

At a glance: The ONWARDS insulin icodec trials

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Please log in to get access to this content

Other articles of this Issue 1/2018

Understanding HRH recruitment in post-conflict settings: an analysis of central-level policies and processes in Timor-Leste (1999–2018)

Cost-effectiveness of the treatment of uncomplicated severe acute malnutrition by community health workers compared to treatment provided at an outpatient facility in rural Mali

The trend and features of physician workforce supply in China: after national medical licensing system reform

Factors enabling community health workers and volunteers to overcome socio-cultural barriers to behaviour change: meta-synthesis using the concept of social capital

Healthcare workers’ industrial action in Nigeria: a cross-sectional survey of Nigerian physicians

Factors contributing to motivation of volunteer community health workers in Ethiopia: the case of four woredas (districts) in Oromia and Tigray regions