Pharmacy workforce analysis and transformation in Indonesia

A systematic needs assessment process can inform strategic, coherent and justifiable workforce development. While pharmacist development is part of Indonesia’s national strategy, a comprehensive needs analysis of Indonesian pharmacists has been absent. This research aimed to analyse pharmacy workforce development needs and develop effective strategies and priorities for workforce transformation in Indonesia. This research started by analysing workforce development needs via three studies. A quantitative analysis of the existing dataset was conducted to identify patterns and trends of Indonesian pharmacists. Semi-structured interviews and group discussions were conducted to explore pharmacists' perceptions of advanced practice development, in which a hybrid approach was employed for data analysis. Using the FIP Development Goals as an analytical framework, a multi-stakeholder needs assessment process was employed to identify gaps between perceived challenges and national programmes for prioritising initial transformation programmes in Indonesia. Following the analysis of workforce development needs, an advanced practice framework was developed through translation, adoption and adaptation of an existing global competency-based framework and a subsequent validation through a nationwide survey. The workforce development needs analysis highlighted the need to develop a flexible national development pathway to enhance pharmacists' professional development throughout their career journey. The survey on the Indonesian Advanced Development Framework (IADF) validation found that the IADF could be used across practice sectors. The IADF was also able to distinguish the career development stages of the surveyed sample (n: 3,539). A four-stage workforce development model was proposed to provide a broader scope of opportunities in developing National Training Programmes (NTPs) in Indonesia, which included structured training for early career pharmacists and advanced practice training. Strategies for developing a professional recognition system in Indonesia were proposed for further implementation. This research provides evidence on the needs assessment process used to prioritise initial programmes in transforming pharmacists in Indonesia