Department of Clinical Pharmacy, King Khalid University, Abha 61421, Saudi Arabia.
Department of Pharmacognosy, King Khalid University, Abha 61421, Saudi Arabia.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Apr 26;18(9):4589. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18094589.
The Saudi Arabian healthcare divisions that recruit and hire pharmacists include hospital pharmacy, community pharmacies, universities, and research centres. Local studies showed that hospital pharmacy is the most preferred sector, while community pharmacy is the least preferred. However, jobs in hospital pharmacy are limited compared to community pharmacy. Hence, to accommodate the increasing numbers of pharmacy graduates and to facilitate the implementation of Saudi Vision 2030, which promotes primary healthcare and the participation of both private and non-governmental organisations in healthcare delivery, community pharmacy ought to be Saudised. This study was conducted to assess the career choices made by Saudi pharmacy students and the enablers that influence their career choice, especially in community pharmacy.
A prospective cross-sectional approach was used. A total of 437 final year pharmacy students were recruited from 15 pharmacy schools around the country.
Salary and advancement opportunities as well as geographical location, benefits, and work environment were found to be "very important" enablers when making career decisions. Hospital pharmacy was selected as the most preferred sector by 242 (55.4%) of the participants, while community pharmacy was the least favoured pharmacy sector (17% or 6.2%). The enablers that might influence the consideration of a job in community pharmacy included career aspiration and social accountability. On the other hand, the barriers were personal beliefs about the sector and the nature of the work.
The community pharmacy sector was found to be the least preferred sector to work in. The study revealed a list of enablers that the participants found to be relevant or of high relevance when choosing community pharmacy as a career pathway. Some of the enablers contribute to the role of the pharmacist towards the local community, social accountability, and towards the country's Vision, such as interaction with the general public and educating them. Other enablers are related to the pharmacists' career aspirations, such as owning a business. Some of the barriers that were found relevant include high workload, inflexible working hours, and limited opportunities for professional development. Localisation of community pharmacies would help to create more jobs for national pharmacists, increase the participation of female pharmacists in the workforce and support the achievement of Vision 2030. The barriers should be tackled on several levels: undergraduate curriculum, regulatory, and actual practice. Undergraduate education needs to include primary pharmaceutical care services in its curriculum. Regulatory changes include enforcing the renationalisation of the community pharmacy sector and permitting females to work in community pharmacies without location restrictions.
在沙特阿拉伯，招聘和雇佣药剂师的医疗保健部门包括医院药房、社区药房、大学和研究中心。当地研究表明，医院药房是最受欢迎的部门，而社区药房则是最不受欢迎的部门。然而，与社区药房相比，医院药房的工作岗位有限。因此，为了容纳越来越多的药剂学毕业生，并促进沙特 2030 愿景的实施，该愿景促进初级保健和私营部门及非政府组织参与医疗保健服务，社区药房应该实现沙特化。这项研究旨在评估沙特药剂学学生的职业选择以及影响他们职业选择的因素，特别是在社区药房。
采用前瞻性横断面方法。从全国各地的 15 所药学学校共招募了 437 名药学专业四年级学生。
薪酬和晋升机会以及地理位置、福利和工作环境被发现是在做出职业决策时非常重要的促成因素。242 名（55.4%）参与者选择医院药房作为最受欢迎的部门，而社区药房则是最不受欢迎的药房部门（17%或 6.2%）。可能影响在社区药房工作的促成因素包括职业抱负和社会责任。另一方面，障碍是个人对该部门的看法和工作性质。
社区药房部门被发现是最不受欢迎的工作部门。研究揭示了一系列参与者认为在选择社区药房作为职业途径时相关或高度相关的促成因素。其中一些促成因素有助于药剂师为当地社区、社会责任和国家愿景服务，例如与公众互动并对其进行教育。其他促成因素与药剂师的职业抱负有关，例如拥有自己的企业。发现的一些障碍包括工作量大、工作时间不灵活和职业发展机会有限。社区药房的本地化将有助于为沙特药剂师创造更多的工作机会，增加女性药剂师在劳动力中的参与度，并支持 2030 年愿景的实现。这些障碍应该在几个层面上加以解决：本科课程、监管和实际实践。本科教育需要在课程中纳入初级药物治疗服务。监管改革包括强制社区药房部门重新沙特化，允许女性在不受地点限制的情况下在社区药房工作。
