Female Pharmacy Student's Intention to Work in Community Pharmacy in Saudi Arabia: Using the Theory of Planned Behavior

Speaker(s)

Alshehri A1, Alqahtani WH2, Moaili AA2, Almogbel Y3, Almalki Z2, Alahmari AK2, Ahmed NJ2
1Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Riyadh, 01, Saudi Arabia, 2Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Al Kharj, Saudi Arabia, 3College of Pharmacy​, Qassim University, Buraidah, Saudi Arabia

OBJECTIVES:

Saudi women pharmacists have been able to achieve a breakthrough in joining the workforce, especially in the hospital pharmacy sector, but they were more hesitant to build a career in the private pharmaceutical market, which includes community pharmacies. This study aimed to identify female pharmacy students’ intentions, attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control about working in community pharmacies, and predict their willingness to work there after graduation.

METHODS:

This study used a cross-sectional questionnaire based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). The survey was distributed to female pharmacy students in Saudi pharmacy schools. The survey included 15 items on a seven-point Likert scale measuring pharmacist attitudes (4 items), intentions (3 items), subjective norms (4 items), perceived behavioral control (4 items), and other sociodemographic items.

RESULTS:

367 female pharmacy students completed the study with an average age of 21.7 (±1.6) years, and the majority did not receive training in a community pharmacy (74.3%) and had no relatives currently working in the community pharmacy (76.2%). Pharmacy students had shown regarding working in community pharmacies: a low intention (mean=3.2±1.8), neutral attitude (mean=4.5±1.6), low perceived social pressure (mean=3.3±1.4), and neutral behavioral perceived control (mean=4.6±1.2). Pharmacy students who were studying in a university in the Riyadh region, enrolling in a Bachelor’s pharmacy degree program, had a positive attitude towards, and positive behavioral perception toward working in community pharmacies were more intended to work in community pharmacy after graduation.

CONCLUSIONS:

Improving female pharmacy students’ attitudes and their perceived behavioral control toward working in community pharmacies may increase their intention toward working in this important sector. Students in a Pharm.D program and those who lived outside the Riyadh region need more attention and motivation regarding the benefits of working in community pharmacies after graduation.

Code

HSD88

Disease

No Additional Disease & Conditions/Specialized Treatment Areas