Synthesizing public health pharmacy work of the Office of Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Public Health based on good governance

Abstract

This research was a mixed-method research aimed to synthesize the structure, role, and mission of public health pharmacy within the consumer protection and public health pharmacy division of the provincial public health offices, under the Office of Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Public Health. Additionally, the research aimed to synthesize the importance of the role and mission of public health pharmacy work, based on good governance, and to find suggestion for the Office of Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Public Health, to drive public health pharmacy policy. The samples were 380 pharmacists who met the inclusion criteria and volunteered to participate in the study. The quantitative research tool was a questionnaire and data were analyzed using percentage, mean, and standard deviation. The qualitative research involved in-depth interviews. The target groups were 5 chairmans from the committee of the Provincial Public Health Pharmacy Club of Thailand, and 4 regional offices. Qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis.

The results showed that the structure of the consumer protection and public health pharmacy division, from the past to present, consisted of two main tasks; consumer protection, and public health pharmacy. The level of opinion regarding the importance of the role and mission of public health pharmacy showed that the overall average score was at a high level (4.38 ± 0.76). The overall average score of opinion on the role and mission of public health pharmacy according to the principles of good governance was also at a high level (4.32 ± 0.83). In terms of problems and obstacles, qualitative data showed that there were structural problems and the reversal of mission roles, as well as the future outlook of public health pharmacy. Therefore, there is a proposal to the Office of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Public Health as follows: 1) review and adjust the name “Consumer Protection and Public Health Pharmacy Unit” to “Public Health Pharmacy and Consumer Protection of Drugs and Health Unit”, 2) continuously raise the research and innovation development funding in public health pharmacy, 3) enhance the staffing framework adequately and promote carrier advancement and stability of the pharmacy profession to keep up with changes through a process of active and continuous participation.