The total number of scientific publications in pharmacy in South Africa showed significant growth from 2014 to 2023. The value stood at 4.12 publications in 2023. Over the years, there have been some fluctuations. After a substantial rise of 204.55% in 2015, there was a notable decline of 14.51% in 2016, followed by another decrease of 38.18% in 2017. However, the subsequent years displayed positive trends, especially from 2018 onwards. The overall compound annual growth rate (CAGR) from 2018 to 2023 was 20.67%, highlighting consistent growth. The last two years showed a 2.72% increase in 2022 and a 14.11% increase in 2023.
Looking forward, from 2024 to 2028, the forecasted data predict a steady increase in the number of publications with a five-year CAGR of 7.46%, resulting in a projected growth rate of 43.27% by 2028. This indicates an optimistic outlook for the future of scientific publications in the pharmacy sector in South Africa.
Future trends to watch for include the impact of increased funding in research and development, advancements in pharmaceutical sciences, and collaboration between academic institutions and industry. Additionally, monitoring global health trends and emerging diseases could also influence the volume and focus of future scientific publications in this field.
