Pharmaceutical Statistics: Malta, Where Does It Stand: A Comparative Study Of Pharmacy Related Statistics Between Malta And The Rest Of The World

Pharmacy is an integral part of every country’s healthcare system and involves huge human and financial resources so statistics are essential. The objectives of the project were to determine what kinds of statistics related to pharmacy are compiled in Malta, to identify the sources of these statistics and to compare the Maltese statistics with those of foreign countries. The project identified a list of sources of pharmaceutical statistics from Malta and over 30 other countries which made it possible to compile and compare a total of 62 pharmaceutical statistics including statistics on pharmacists, pharmaceuticals, alcohol, tobacco and illicit substances. These statistics revealed that Malta has a high number of pharmacists, a high consumption of prescribed antibiotics and a high use of illicit inhalants among adolescents. Various other Maltese and global trends were identified and differences were observed between the countries studied especially between EU and non-EU countries. The comparisons led to the conclusion that Malta compiles similar statistics to those found in most of Europe and that Malta is within the same standards with the modern world.

Mr James Cini has obtained a Bachelor of Pharmacy (Honours) degree at the University of Malta in 2011, having Dr Maurice Zarb Adami as project supervisor. He is currently working in the pharmacy compounding section at Mater Dei Hospital in Malta.