A new Guidelines on Hospital Pharmacy Manpower in Saudi Arabia

ABSTRACT

General administration of pharmaceutical care (GAPC) had started implementation five strategic general goals in Saudi Arabia since 2012. Human resources development and implementation were the 2nd strategic goal among them.[1] In 2004, the GAPG applied hospital pharmacy staff standard. It was 0, 04 hospital pharmacists per each bed for each hospital with total 176 working hours per month; 40 hours/week with additional 16 hours divided over the weekends. This qualification of hospital pharmacy staff consisted of a pharmacist and clinical pharmacists as showed in Table 1. After ten years in 2014, GAPC had revised these strategies based on the increases of population in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia 24.24-29.99 million within 2007-2013, the number of Ministry of Health (MOH) hospitals and beds increased 244 to268 hospitals, and 33,277 to 38,970 beds. Also, the Non-MOH governmental number of beds increased 10,822 to 11,397 beds without increased number of hospitals, and private hospitals with number of beds increased 125 to 136 hospitals, and 11,833 to 14,310 beds in 2009-2013 respectively. The total number of hospitals rose from 408 to 445, and total number beds increased 55,932 to 64,77.[2] Moreover, the number of disease quantities and quality increased, and the number of hospital admissions, number of ambulatory care visits,[2] in addition to expanding of pharmacy practice services and several type of clinical pharmacy specialties for adult and pediatric patients.[3]

KEYWORDS

• Hospital
• Pharmacist
• Manpower
• Ministry of Health
• Saudi Arabia

Showing references and in-text citations exactly as published.

• DOI10.5530.jppcm.2016.2.1Copy