Statistics
2009 Health Manpower Survey on Pharmacists
Key Findings
1. The pharmacists covered in the 2009 HMS were pharmacists registered with the Pharmacy and Poisons Board of Hong Kong under the Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance (Chapter 138) as at the survey reference date – 31.8.2009.
2. The number of pharmacists covered in the 2009 HMS was 1 859.
3. Of the 1 859 registered pharmacists covered, 1 251 had responded to the survey, giving an overall response rate of 67.3%. Of the 1 251 responding pharmacists, 966 (77.2%) were economically active*† (active) while 285 (22.8%) reported to be economically inactive*‡ (inactive) in the local pharmacy profession (See Chart).
4. Of the 966 active pharmacists, 949 (98.2%) were practising in the local pharmacy profession, 15 (1.6%) were seeking jobs and two (0.2%) were starting business at subsequent date or waiting to take up new job in the local pharmacy profession during the 30 days before the survey.
5. The survey findings presented below were based on the 949 responding pharmacists who were practising in the local pharmacy profession as at 31.8.2009. As some questionnaires contained missing information, percentages presented below may not add up to 100%.
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(i) |
Of the 949 active pharmacists enumerated, 446 (47.0%) were male and 496 (52.3%) were female, giving an overall sex ratio of 90 (males per 100 females). 13 pharmacists did not indicate their age and the median age of the remaining 936 active pharmacists enumerated was 39.0 years. |
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(ii) |
Distribution by sector of the main job§ showed that 616 (64.9%) were working in the private sector, followed by 259 (27.3%) in the Hospital Authority, 55 (5.8%) in the Government and 16 (1.7%) in the academic and subvented sectors. |
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(iii) |
75.2% spent most of their working time on service in pharmacy║, followed by 10.1% on administration / management¶ and 7.9% on manufacturing / marketing / sales**. |
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(iv) |
The median hours of work (excluding meal breaks) per week of the 949 active pharmacists enumerated was 44.0 hours. 114 (12.0%) pharmacists were required to undertake on-call duty in their posts, with a median of 20.0 hours of on-call duty (excluding normal duty) per week. |
6. Among the 285 inactive pharmacists (See Chart):
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(i) |
144 pharmacists reported not practising in the pharmacy profession in Hong Kong and not seeking job in the local pharmacy profession during the 30 days before the survey. The reasons reported for not seeking job included: 71 (49.3%) were working in other professions, 32 (22.2%) were retired, 22 (15.3%) were engaged in household duties, eight (5.6%) wanted to take rest / having no motive to work / having no financial need, etc. |
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(ii) |
133 pharmacists reported practising overseas and five reported practising in the Mainland. |
* In the survey, the criteria used in defining economically active / inactive followed those recommended by the International Labour Organization, which are also being used by the Census and Statistics Department in Hong Kong.
† “Economically active” pharmacists comprised all “employed” and “unemployed” pharmacists. “Employed” pharmacists referred to those pharmacists practising in the pharmacy profession in Hong Kong during the survey period, while “unemployed” pharmacists referred to those pharmacists who (a) were not practising in the local pharmacy profession during the survey period; (b) had been available for work during the seven days before the survey; and (c) had sought work in the local pharmacy profession during the 30 days before the survey.
‡ “Economically inactive” pharmacists comprised the responding pharmacists who were not practising in the pharmacy profession in Hong Kong during the survey period, but excluding those who had been on leave during the survey period and those who were economically active but “unemployed”.
§ Main jobs referred to the jobs in which the pharmacists had spent most of their working time.
║ Service in pharmacy referred to the work which had direct contact with patients in dispensing and patient counselling.
¶ Administration / Management referred to the work which was out of scope of pharmacy such as supervising staff, accounting, budget control, procurement of drugs, etc.
** Manufacturing / Marketing / Sales referred to the work involving in the pharmaceutical company (wholesaler) or pharmaceutical manufacturer such as manufacturing, marketing and sales.
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Activity Status of Pharmacists Covered |
| Of the 1 859 pharmacists covered, 1 251 (67.3%) had responded to the survey, while the remaining 608 (32.7%) had not responded. Among the respondents, 966 (77.2%) were active in the local pharmacy profession whereas 285 (22.8%) reported to be inactive in the local pharmacy profession. Among the 966 active pharmacists, 949 (98.2%) were practising in the local pharmacy profession and 15 (1.6%) (a) were not practising in the pharmacy profession in Hong Kong during the survey period; (b) had been available for work in the local pharmacy profession during the seven days before the survey; and (c) had sought work in the local pharmacy profession during the 30 days before the survey and the remaining two (0.2%) responding pharmacists who (a) were not practising in the pharmacy profession in Hong Kong during the survey period; (b) had been available for work in the local pharmacy profession during the seven days before the survey; and (c) were starting business at subsequent date or waiting to take up new job in the local pharmacy profession during the 30 days before the survey. Of the 285 inactive pharmacists, 144 (50.5%) reported not practising in the pharmacy profession in Hong Kong and not seeking job in the local pharmacy profession during the 30 days before the survey, 133 (46.7%) reported practising overseas, five (1.8%) reported practising in the Mainland in the pharmacy profession and the remaining three (1.1%) (a) were not practising in the pharmacy profession in Hong Kong during the survey period; (b) had not been available for work during the seven days before the survey; and (c) had sought work in the local pharmacy profession during the 30 days before the survey. Of the 144 not seeking job pharmacists, 71 (49.3%) were working in other professions, 32 (22.2%) were retired, 22 (15.3%) were engaged in household duties, eight (5.6%) wanted to take rest / having no motive to work / having no financial need and 11 (7.6%) reported emigrated, undertaking study, etc |
| Notes﹕ | * | Figure refers to the number of responding pharmacists who (a) were not practising in the pharmacy profession in Hong Kong during the survey period; (b) had been available for work in the local pharmacy profession the seven days before the survey; and (c) had sought work in the local pharmacy profession during the 30 days before the survey. |
| † | Figure refers to the number of responding pharmacists who (a) were not practising in the pharmacy profession in Hong Kong during the survey period; (b) had been available for work in the local pharmacy profession the seven days before the survey; and (c) were starting business at subsequent date or waiting to take up new job in the local pharmacy profession during the 30 days before the survey. | |
| ‡ | Figure refers to the number of responding pharmacists who (a) were not practising in the pharmacy profession in Hong Kong during the survey period; (b) had not been available for work during the seven days before the survey; and (c) had sought work in the local pharmacy profession during the 30 days before the survey. | |
| § | Figure refers to the number of responding pharmacists who reported emigrated, undertaking study, etc. | |
| Percentage may not add up to 100% due to rounding. |
Department of Health
The Government of the Hong Kong
Special Administrative Region
23 July 2010