Statistics
2012 Health Manpower Survey on Pharmacists
Key Findings
1. The pharmacists covered in the 2012 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 – 31.8.2012.
2. The number of pharmacists covered was 2 105.
3. Of the 2 105 registered pharmacists covered, 1 049 responded to the survey, giving an overall response rate of 49.8%. Of the 1 049 responding pharmacists, 838 (79.9%) were economically active*† (active) whereas 211 (20.1%) reported to be economically inactive*‡ (inactive) in the local pharmacy profession.
4. Of the 838 active pharmacists, 823 (98.2%) were practising in the local pharmacy profession, 13 (1.6%) were seeking jobs and two (0.2%) were starting business at subsequent date or waiting to take up a new job in the local pharmacy profession during the 30 days before the survey.
5. The survey findings presented below were based on the 823 responding pharmacists practising in the local pharmacy profession as at 31.8.2012. As some questionnaires had missing responses, percentages presented below may not add up to 100%.
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(i) |
Six registered pharmacists did not indicate sex. Of the remaining 817 active pharmacists enumerated, 386 (47.2%) were male and 431 (52.8%) were female, giving an overall sex ratio of 90 (males per 100 females). Seven registered pharmacists did not indicate age and the median age of the remaining 816 active pharmacists enumerated was 41.0 years. |
(ii) |
Distribution by sector of the main job§ showed that 503 (61.1%) active pharmacists enumerated were working in the private sector, followed by 230 (27.9%) in the Hospital Authority, 70 (8.5%) in the Government and 20 (2.4%) in the academic and subvented sectors. |
(iii) |
The median number of hours of work (excluding meal breaks) per week of the 823 active pharmacists enumerated was 44.0 hours. 99 (12.0%) pharmacists were required to undertake on-call duty, with a median of 19.0 hours of on-call duty (excluding normal duty) per week. |
(iv) |
70.6% spent most of their working time on service in pharmacy║, followed by 13.2% on administration / management¶ and 7.4% on manufacturing / marketing / sales**. |
6. Among the 211 inactive pharmacists.
(i) |
122 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: 49 (40.2%) were working in other professions, 36 (29.5%) were retired, 18 (14.8%) were engaged in household duties, 15 (12.3%) wanted to take rest / had no motive to work / had no financial need, etc. |
(ii) |
81 pharmacists reported practising overseas and eight 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 sale.
| Activity Status of Pharmacists Covered |
| 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 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 (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 a new job 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. |
| Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding. |