This September 25, it’s time to look at pharmacists beyond the counter

In the Philippines, it takes four to five years to get a professional license yet it only takes a day to feel undervalued. This is the reality many pharmacists are facing, where strenuous efforts for undergraduate studies and clinical training are treated equivalent to a vendor and dispenser of medicines. 

And yet, the only appreciation they could probably get are social media posts that get buried afterwards. Then, they return to the same broken system that only applauds them for a day, yet neglects them tomorrow.

Behind every dose

The World Health Organization (WHO) already projected that shortage of practicing licensed pharmacists is an imminent struggle for the Philippines. However, this scarcity isn’t in the distant future—it has already surfaced.

According to the Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC), the country demands an estimate of 57,000 pharmacists but only about 30,000 are now currently practicing, leaving a massive gap of  27,000. However, addressing the shortage may even take as long as seven years, considering that around 4,000 board certified pharmacists are produced each year. 

“We may not notice or be aware of it, but we are facing a looming healthcare crisis owing to our dwindling workforce of radiologic technologists, pharmacists, midwives and other allied medical professionals,” Parañaque City 2nd district Rep. Brian Raymund Yamsuan highlighted.

Based on the standard of the WHO, one pharmacist is required for every 2,000 people, equivalent to an average barangay population. Yet in the Philippines, the ratio is 0.57 pharmacists for the same number of patients, according to PSAC data. This means that pharmacists in the country are forced to take a workload that supposedly needs two. 

This predicament is disproportionately affecting rural and remote areas as they already have the least access to proper care. Because when the nearest pharmacist is miles away, so is the medicine and the advice to properly use it.

Even more so, fewer consultations with health professionals may limit the services a patient can receive, and worse, they will have narrowed access to specialized medications and vaccines that could prove useful for their health, as per the Universal Health Care (UHC) survey.

Meanwhile, patients aren’t the only ones who have to adjust with the shortage, the clinic does, too. Facilities become understaffed and are unable to offer advanced services like clinical programs and specialized care, with most prioritizing only handing out basic services, like dispensing medications and limited patient counseling.  

These limitations only force patients to compensate for the care they receive, and the cheapest option is often not the safest. Rather than seeking professional advice, they trust what a neighbor says, what a relative used once, and what online sellers claim to treat. 

At the root of care

Tracing the roots of pharmacist shortage reveals rot in every stage: from undergraduate education down to professional practices.

Before pharmacists even have their first step in the hospital corridor, they’re already afflicted by a problem that starts in their cradle. 

The Second Congressional Commission on Education (Edcom II) reported that the worsening shortage of allied health workers, including pharmacists, is attributable to limited access to public medical education and high drop out rates among undergrads.

Moreover, Edcom II reveals that an estimated 56 percent of those enrolled in healthcare degree programs—about 30,000 annually—never even got the chance of entering the workforce, with dropout rates reaching 15,000 students per year.

A probable reason for this leaking education pipeline is not that students are losing interest, it’s just  that the system is making it hard to stay. Enrolling in a pharmacy course comes at an expensive price—it demands payment for tuition, laboratory fees, books, medical equipment, and review materials. As such, for many students, the cost alone delineates who gets to continue and finish, and who does not.

The problem compounds even worse once they get their license. A study exposed that many pharmacists are dissatisfied and stressed about their job. This stems from heavy workloads, limited job autonomy, deficient organizational support, inadequate facilities, lack of recognition, and poor management practices.

Adding to the mix is that their wages don’t really reflect the weight of their clinical training and responsibilities. Pharmacists even have to compete for a limited slot of permanent positions, especially in public hospitals, all the while depending on the contractual jobs until they can fill a vacancy.

These continuously push them to the point of detachment from their role, exhaustion, and diminished sense of accomplishment. Under these conditions, the option of serving Filipinos is more of a personal sacrifice rather than a rational choice. Though some still choose to cross borders and migrate in search for better pay and working conditions. However, this only deepens the shortage at home, according to Edcom II.

Prescribing better care

To buy time while the supply of licensed pharmacists catches up, PSAC health cluster led by AC Health chief executive officer Paolo Borromeo proposed a “regulatory sandbox” approach. This helps pharmacists reach out to more patients by making the requirement process easier and allowing them to oversee several pharmacies and drugstores at the same time.

PSAC also notes the medical sector can benefit in improved services by maximizing telepharmacy. This streamlines patient counseling and smoothens delivery of pharmaceutical care by utilizing telecommunications and digital technologies.

Then, supplementing long-term support follows. One of the proposed actions is the House Bill No.7355,  filed by Parañaque City Rep. Brian Raymund Yamsuan. This seeks to institutionalize the Allied Health Professionals Subsidy and Return Service Program for all aspiring allied medical practitioners, including pharmacists.

Under the bill is creation of the Philippine Allied Health Council (PAHC), which will be responsible for assessing the scope, amount, and prioritization of financial aid. The beneficiaries will then be given the following: tuition and other school fees;  allowances for books, supplies and equipment, clothing or uniform, housing, and transportation; internship or practicum fees; annual medical and health insurance coverage; licensure exam subsidies; and other necessary supplemental aid. 

All of these are pieces of a single goal: empowering pharmacists for healthier futures and ensuring patients get the care they need the most.

“We are working toward a more equitable and sustainable health-care system,” Borromeo emphasized.

If the government continues to underinvest in its medical workforce, it is Filipinos who have to carry the burden—from getting improper medications, unchecked doses, and delayed services—all the while the health professionals they need serve patients abroad.