Phân tích thực trạng nhân lực dược khu vực Đồng bằng sông Cửu Long năm 2022

The global imperative to enhance healthcare quality, particularly through a skilled pharmaceutical workforce, is increasingly critical. Vietnam's healthcare system faces escalating challenges, including a growing population, increasing disease burden, and rising demand for quality medical services. Despite national efforts to develop healthcare human resources, including ambitious targets for pharmacist-to-population ratios, significant disparities persist, particularly within the Mekong Delta region. This study addresses the urgent need to understand the current landscape of the pharmacy workforce in this vital region. By analyzing the structure and distribution of pharmacists in general hospitals across the Mekong Delta in 2022, this research aims to identify existing imbalances and provide evidence-based insights to inform effective policy and strategic planning for sustainable human resource development in the health sector.

Healthcare policymakers, hospital administrators, human resource managers in the health sector, and public health researchers focused on pharmaceutical workforce development.

This cross-sectional descriptive study aimed to analyze the current status of the distribution and structure of the pharmacy workforce in the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam in 2022. Data was collected from 2614 pharmacy personnel across 133 public general hospitals. The findings reveal a significant imbalance in **pharmaceutical human resources**. University-educated pharmacists constituted 46.6% of the workforce, with personnel holding college and intermediate diplomas accounting for 53.1%, and pharmacy assistants representing a mere 0.3%. A marked disparity was observed in the workforce structure not only among provinces but also between urban and rural areas. Crucially, in most provinces, the ratios of pharmacists (including those with college and intermediate diplomas), pharmacists to physicians, and pharmacists to hospital beds fell below the benchmarks stipulated in national regulations (Circular 03/2023/TT-BYT). The distribution of pharmacists across **general hospital** facilities was inequitable, with an average of only 6.8 pharmacists per hospital. Alarmingly, 18 hospitals (13.5%) were found to have no pharmacists on staff, highlighting a critical shortage. The discussion further contextualizes these findings, noting that the region's pharmacist density has historically been low compared to national averages and remains below the target of 4 pharmacists per 10,000 population. Highly qualified pharmacists tend to concentrate in urban centers like Can Tho, exacerbating rural disparities. The persistent reliance on lower-level trained staff and non-compliance with national regulations regarding clinical pharmacy requirements underscore the challenges. In conclusion, the **Mekong Delta** region faces a low proportion of university-educated pharmacists, a predominant workforce of college and intermediate diploma holders, and a significant imbalance in **pharmacy workforce structure** between urban and rural areas. The ratios of pharmacists to hospital beds, physicians, and per hospital remain critically low, demanding urgent strategic interventions to enhance healthcare quality and ensure adequate **pharmaceutical human resources** across the region.