Undergraduate student research

Abstract

Introduction: The United Nations launched the Sustainable Development Goals in 2015. One of these goals describes achieving a Universal Health Coverage by 2030. This signifies workforce planning in healthcare professions (United Nations, 2015). The International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) published reports about pharmacy workforce planning in several countries. However, data about Qatar was not included in these reports. In 2017, FIP developed a transformational roadmap of pharmaceutical workforce and education. One component of the roadmap is the Pharmaceutical Workforce Development Goals (PWDGs) (International Pharmaceutical Federation, 2016). This research aims to conduct a self-assessment of the pharmaceutical workforce and education in Qatar in relation to the FIP's PWDGs. This will be followed by prioritization of the identified gaps and recommendation of measures to address them. Methods: Three rounds of conventional Delphi technique (Hasson et al., 2000) are conducted with expert panels in the College of Pharmacy at Qatar University and the Ministry of Public Health, utilizing the FIP's self-assessment survey. Content analysis is used to analyse and prioritize the identified gaps. Results: The lack of competency framework (PWDG5), workforce data (PWDG12), and workforce policy formation (PWDG13) are the three major gaps in the provision of pharmaceutical workforce and pharmacy education in Qatar, influencing other PWDGs. These gaps need to be addressed by the formation of Qatari Pharmaceutical Association through which academic, practice, and policymaking sectors can work together in developing a health workforce intelligence system. Conclusion: The results indicated that PWDGs are interrelated and a gap in one goal can negatively influence others (Bruno et al., 2018). Results and recommendations of this research will facilitate the implementation of strategic plans across leading pharmacy sectors to meet health needs in Qatar and achieve the third pillar of the Qatar National Vision 2030 'A Healthy Population: Physically and Mentally' (General Secretariat for Development, 2008).