2,446 pharmacists working in Sultanate

Muscat, Sept 25  - There were 718 private pharmacies in the Sultanate in 2017, of which 270 are in Muscat, according to the National Center for Statistics and Information (NCSI). It also said that there are 2,446 pharmacists working in the public and private sectors in the country, of which Omanis constitute 27 per cent. This comes as the world marked World Pharmacists Day which falls on September 25 every year. The theme of this year is ‘Pharmacists are your medicines experts’, a reminder of the core value of pharmacists’ essential, accessible expertise. Commenting about the day, Jihan al Nassri, a pharmacist, said that pharmacists are available to help other healthcare professionals on aspects of medicine uses. We know about supplies, prices, quality, dosing, choice of formulation, prescribing options and others. The number of pharmacists (per 10,000 population) has increased since 2006 and an increase in the global pharmacy workforce of up to 40 per cent is projected between 2016 and 2030. However, low-income countries have experienced the slowest growth and worries raised of a continued widening income-based capacity gap between countries, according to International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP), a global federation representing four million pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists worldwide. ZAINAB AL NASSRI