Transnational Migration of Filipino Pharmacists: A Structured Literature Review
Abstract
Global labor mobility includes healthcare professional migration, which affects workforce sustainability, healthcare delivery, and human resource planning. Due to economic opportunity, professional advancement, and global healthcare needs, Filipino pharmacists are migrating abroad. However, literature specific to pharmacist migration is scarcer than other healthcare professions. This structured literature review examined Filipino pharmacists' international migration, including migration reasons, employment mobility, professional adaptability, psychosocial experiences, and workforce implications. Identification, screening, and synthesis of relevant scholarly and institutional material were carried out using a structured literature review process. Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus-indexed journals, peer-reviewed journals, WHO publications, ILO reports, and Philippine government policy documents were searched for studies from January 2019 to May 2026. Screening was based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, and a thematic synthesis identified migration patterns. After screening and full-text examination, 17 research and institutional sources were included from 75 records. Economic incentives, professional growth, labor mobility, cultural and professional adaptability, psychosocial obstacles, and coping resilience were common topics in the literature. Migration is driven by compensation, career possibilities, workforce dissatisfaction, and rising global healthcare demand, the study found. Migrants must acclimate to new healthcare systems, licensure requirements, workplace expectations, and cultures. Outward migration may boost professional growth and labor mobility, but it may threaten Philippine workforce retention and healthcare sustainability. Filipino pharmacists' transnational migration is a multifaceted workforce issue involving labor mobility, professional adaptation, and healthcare workforce planning. Pharmacist-specific migration literature is scarce, emphasizing the necessity of profession-centered research and evidence-informed policy to enhance Philippine pharmaceutical workforce sustainability and resilience.
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