2024 Workforce Data Collection Exercise
CPA is working in partnership with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) to develop a better understanding of the shape of the pharmacy workforce across the Commonwealth
Health workforce data is essential for workforce planning and development. It helps in forecasting future healthcare needs, understanding demographic shifts and adapting to emerging health challenges. By identifying gaps in the workforce and its development, policymakers can better assess the distribution and support needs of healthcare professionals, and design strategies to ensure healthcare services are accessible to all regardless of geography or socioeconomic status.
CPA, FIP and WHO are working together to gather data to explore the shape, composition and professional development of the pharmacy workforce around the Commonwealth. This data will be analysed by FIP to identify where greater investment and support is needed to enable pharmacists to meet the health needs of the populations that they serve.
The findings of this exercise will also help to inform the approach taken to training and development in the coming years, enabling the provision of better support to Pharmacists.
What data are we collecting?
- Workforce registration
- Worker demographics
- Education
- Training
- Policy and registration
How CPA member organisations will contribute
CPA is working in close partnership with National Pharmacy Associations and equivalent bodies to collect workforce data in their respective countries. Every CPA member organisation will be asked to complete a survey and to provide support during the data collection process.
We are also keen to understand any barriers or obstacles that exist to collecting, maintaining or quality controlling workforce data across the Commonwealth, and to identify how we can support organisations to mitigate these challenges.
All member organisations will be contacted by CPA in due course with instructions on how to complete the relevant survey documents and access support from the organisation.
How data will be collected and used
Who will collect data on pharmacists?
CPA members and partners will be entrusted with undertaking the primary data collection exercise, with support from CPA. In most cases, this will involve National Pharmacy Associations sharing data that they already collect and hold as standard with CPA.
Who will store and process the data?
All data collected as part of our surveys will be held and processed by CPA, in line with the data protection regime in effect in the United Kingdom at the time the surveys are completed.Â
Who will have access to the data?
The collected data will be shared with the World Health Organisation and the International Pharmaceutical Federation. The results of data analysis may be published or disseminated more widely as one or more of these organisations seeks to disseminate learnings from the exercise.
Will any personal information be collected?
In most cases, we expect participating organisations will provide us with aggregate data rather than individual datapoints about individual pharmacists.
Where this is not possible and the exercise captures datasets that contain data on individual pharmacists, all data will be fully anonymised so that any personal or professional details – including names, registration numbers and contact details – are removed from the data before it is processed and stored.
We are not interested in collecting personal information on individual pharmacists as part of this exercise but rather in identifying patterns and trends across the whole of the workforce in a given country.
I have a concern about how my data is being asked for/used. Who can I talk to?
In the first instance, you should raise your concerns with the organisation collecting data on behalf of CPA. In most cases this will be your National Pharmacy Association or equivalent professional body in your country.
If you are unable to get a response from the collecting body, then you can raise a concern with CPA by writing to workforcedata@commonwealthpharmacy.org.Â
Project updates
We will share news from the exercise as and when it is available.