Ding Bo, Zhao Run, Yue Xinyi, Li Dexun
Pharmacy Department, Hefei Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Hefei, People's Republic of China.
School of Pharmaceutical Economics and Management, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, People's Republic of China.
Risk Manag Healthc Policy. 2025 Aug 24;18:2769-2785. doi: 10.2147/RMHP.S534923. eCollection 2025.
This study aims to analyze the regional and hierarchical disparities in the distribution of pharmacist human resources in China from 2012 to 2022, with the goal of identifying underlying trends and challenges. The findings are intended to serve as a basis for optimizing the equitable and efficient allocation of pharmacist resources to better support healthcare system development.
Data were collected from the China Health Statistics Yearbook and China Statistics Yearbook. The number of pharmacists per 1,000 population was selected as a measure of equity in pharmacist allocation, and Dagum's Gini coefficient, kernel density estimation method and spatial β-convergence model were utilized to analyze the regional differences and convergence trends of pharmacist resource allocation in Chinese hospitals and primary health care organizations.
The findings reveal that while the overall allocation of pharmacist resources has improved, significant discrepancies remain. The mean number of hospital pharmacists was approximately twice that of primary care centers, with the most pronounced disparity observed in the central region. Regional disparities show declining trends in hospitals but widening gaps in PHCs, particularly in the eastern region. Kernel density results highlight improvements in pharmacist distribution but also reinforce advantages for High-resource provinces, especially at the hospital tier. Spatial analysis indicates significant clustering effects in pharmacist allocation, though these effects have weakened over time. Notably, absolute and conditional β-convergence trends are observed, with faster convergence rates in hospitals compared to PHCs and distinct regional variations in convergence speed.
Since 2012, the allocation of pharmacists' human resources in China has improved, with regional disparities showing signs of reduction. However, hierarchical disparities remain a significant issue that requires further attention, particularly in the central region. To address these challenges, it is essential to increase investment in primary healthcare institutions, with a focus on strengthening pharmacist staffing, improving infrastructure, and enhancing the capacity of pharmacy services at the grassroots level.
本研究旨在分析2012年至2022年中国药师人力资源分布的区域和层级差异，以识别潜在趋势和挑战。研究结果旨在为优化药师资源的公平有效分配提供依据，以更好地支持医疗体系发展。
数据来源于《中国卫生统计年鉴》和《中国统计年鉴》。选取每千人口药师数量作为药师分配公平性的衡量指标，并采用达古姆基尼系数、核密度估计方法和空间β收敛模型分析中国医院和基层医疗卫生机构药师资源分配的区域差异和收敛趋势。
研究结果表明，虽然药师资源的总体分配有所改善，但仍存在显著差异。医院药师的平均数量约为基层医疗中心的两倍，中部地区的差距最为明显。区域差异在医院呈下降趋势，但在基层医疗卫生机构中差距在扩大，尤其是在东部地区。核密度结果突出了药师分布的改善，但也强化了资源丰富省份的优势，尤其是在医院层面。空间分析表明药师分配存在显著的集聚效应，不过这些效应随着时间的推移有所减弱。值得注意的是，观察到绝对β收敛和条件β收敛趋势，医院的收敛速度比基层医疗卫生机构更快，且收敛速度存在明显的区域差异。
自2012年以来，中国药师人力资源的分配有所改善，区域差异有缩小的迹象。然而，层级差异仍然是一个需要进一步关注的重大问题，特别是在中部地区。为应对这些挑战，必须增加对基层医疗卫生机构的投资，重点是加强药师配备、改善基础设施以及提高基层药学服务能力。
