The Evaluation of Payment for Pharmacists in the Ministry of Public Health

Abstract

Background: Shortage and misdistribution of health personnel are problems of the Ministry of Public Health. The Ministry has solved the problems by issuing regulation of payment. But it causes different payment in each profession.
Objective: To study the outcomes of evaluation payment system for pharmacists in the Ministry of Public Health.
Method: Qualitative research was performed as focus group with pharmacists who work in provincial hospitals and community hospitals. The hospitals were selected from eight provinces representing all regional area including Chinad, Kalasin, Trung, Pattanee, Burirum, Chonburi, Lampang, and Tak. The research was performed during June – October 2015, with a focus on three indicators including the result of payment upon the efficacy of work, the equity of payment between professional and within professional, and the ability to engage personnel in public health system.
Results: The payment of not-practice outside hospital had an impact upon efficacy meanwhile other types of payment had no impact upon efficacy. Non-equity of payment had been found between professional and workload payment reflecting fairness of professional. However, collection system of workload was complicated resulting in burden of job. Payment was not the main factor to engage personnel in public health system. There were other factors, such as a welfare system that could engage manpower in the Ministry of Public Health.
Conclusion: Payment system for pharmacist had impact on efficacy and partly impact upon the engagement in public health system meanwhile an unfair payment between professional was found.