A mixed-methods SWOT analysis of community pharmacy services in Saudi Arabia: stakeholder perspectives and strategic framework

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Source: Frontiers Medicine

Original: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmed.2026.1728571...

Published: 2026-02-16T00:00:00Z

The study conducted a mixed methods SWOT analysis of community pharmacy services in Saudi Arabia using a qualitative synthesis of 17 peer-reviewed papers (2015–2023) and a quantitative survey of 91 stakeholders on a 25-item Likert scale. Strengths include a well-developed educational infrastructure and supportive environment, weaknesses include a lack of clinical integration and an unbalanced workforce distribution between regions. Opportunities include expanding digital health, insurance reforms and national workforce initiatives, threats growing commercial pressures and overlapping regulatory responsibilities. The survey confirmed the underutilization of pharmacists' clinical roles as the main weakness (M = 4.09, SD = 0.72) and the expansion of the private sector according to Saudi Vision 2030 as the biggest opportunity (M = 4.44, SD = 0.61). The results were merged into the TOWS matrix to create a strategic framework in line with Saudi Vision 2030, supporting regulatory coherence, expanded clinical roles for pharmacists and the integration of digital health.