Page 18 - MOH Supply and Needs-Based Requirement Hyperlink 02032021

EXTENDED EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 10

1.2.3 Pharmacist

The Malaysian pharmaceutical services delivered by both public and private pharmaceutical
providers where the roles of pharmacists are to ensure quality, safety and efficacy of
medicines to fulfil, urge, and foster rational use of medication among members of the public.
Pharmaceutical care services are achievable by contributing to the preparation, supply,
control of medicine and providing information to those who prescribe or use pharmaceutical
products. The spectrum of health care needs is broad, as patients’ medications use involves
self-care, acute care and chronic care.

Majority of pharmacy practice involves directly with patient care in hospitals, health
clinics and community pharmacies. Pharmacists involved in the in-direct patient care are
pharmacy management, enforcement, regulatory, pharmaceutical industries, academia and
research, which plays a significant role in the healthcare system in the country. Malaysia
has comprehensive pharmacy services in the public sector, which co-exist with the private
healthcare system. The Ministry of Health forms the largest provider of public healthcare,
alongside other health care providers under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education
(i.e. the university hospitals) and Ministry of Defence (military hospitals). Private health care
providers, among others include community pharmacy, private hospital pharmacy and
pharmaceutical industry.

In order to be a registered pharmacist in Malaysia, a pharmacy graduate shall be registered
with the Pharmacy Board of Malaysia (PBM) which is an established body formed under the
Registration of Pharmacists Act (ROPA) 1951. The constitution of the board is from public
and private sectors pharmacist and is presided by Director General of Health. Under this
act, registered pharmacists are individuals who are rovisionally registered pharmacist under
section 6 or a fully registered pharmacist under section 6B (ROPA) 1951.

The pharmacist population has improved markedly from 2008 until 2016 with an average
increment of 6% over 8 years, where the pharmacist to population ratio of 2008 is 1:4,137
and while in 2017 is 1:2,773. In 2015, the total number of pharmacists in Malaysia was 10,511
with a pharmacist to population ratio of 1:2,900. According to the data from PBM, 901
pharmacists received their full registration and 1,486 received their provisional registration
in 2015. Based on the registration issued, 30% of them are male and 70% are female. In
2015, there are 19 pharmacy schools in Malaysia offering pharmacy degree programme
consisting of five (5) and (14) public and private pharmacy schools respectively. Currently,
20 fully recognized pharmacy schools have been established to offer pharmacy degree
programme.

The application processes of Annual Certificate (AC) were done manually prior to June
2014. Due to technical issues encountered by the PBM, the data of AC was not available for
the year 2015. The 2015 data comprises of pharmacists in both public and private sectors.
In the earlier part of implementing BLESS, due to several technical issues with the system,
PBM has exempted pharmacists in the public sector from applying AC for 2015 and 2016
until all the issues have been resolved. Thus, this explains the reduced total number of
registered pharmacists for the year 2015 and 2016 as compared to the year 2014. Therefore,
this might be the explanation of the actual number of AC are not publicly available for the
year 2015 and 2016. Table 5 illustrates the key facts on pharmacist in Malaysia 2015.

SUPPLY AND NEEDS-BASED REQUIREMENT PROJECTIONS OF MALAYSIAN HUMAN
RESOURCES FOR HEALTH USING SYSTEM DYNAMICS APPROACH 2016 - 2030