Sample Of Pharmacists Research Articles

Use and abuse of controlled substances by pharmacists and pharmacy students

The use of controlled substances by samples of pharmacists and pharmacy students in one New England state was surveyed. A questionnaire was sent in November 1984 to a sample of 510 pharmacists randomly selected from the membership list of the state's pharmaceutical association and to a sample of 470 students from the state's pharmacy schools; 76% and 67% of the eligible pharmacists and students responded, respectively. The questionnaire elicited information about the respondents' use of controlled substances for self-treatment and recreation, as well as the instrumental use of stimulants to enhance performance. Almost half of the pharmacists (46%) and two thirds of the students (62%) reported using a controlled substance at some time without a prescription; 19% and 41%, respectively, used one within the past year. Whereas students used the drugs most often for recreation (57% ever, 36% currently), use by pharmacists was more equally divided among self-treatment (29% ever, 13% currently), recreation (29% ever, 9% currently), and instrumental purposes (21% ever). The drugs most often used were marijuana, stimulants (especially cocaine by students), tranquilizers, and opiates. Drug use was generally limited in amount, but 18% of the pharmacists and 35% of the students who ever used a drug either became dependent or were at risk of drug abuse. Current drug use was most strongly associated with age, non-attendance at religious services, student access, year in school, and citizenship. The findings of this study suggest the need for continued development of impaired pharmacist committees and drug abuse prevention programs for pharmacists and pharmacy students.

An Equity Model of Staff Pharmacists' Job Satisfaction

Secondary analysis of data obtained during the 1982 Socioeconomic Survey of California pharmacists examined staff pharmacists' satisfaction with their job and with their employers' compensation practices. A systematic sample of licensed pharmacists residing in California was surveyed. Usable data from 208 staff pharmacists was analyzed. School of pharmacy, gender, practice setting and academic degree did not have a statistically significant effect upon pharmacists' overall job satisfaction when examined individually. When examined all together, only academic degree made a statistically significant difference in the level of job satisfaction. Pharmacists making less than the 25th wage percentile were less satisfied with their employers' compensation practices. For the entire sample of pharmacists, the factors having the greatest impact on general job satisfaction were: (1) satisfaction with compensation practices; (2) percent of time spent in patient care functions; and, (3) percent of time spent in purchasing and receiving. Academic degree did not contribute significantly to the prediction of job satisfaction.

Oklahoma pharmacists' explanations of professional satisfaction and dissatisfaction.

This study examined whether the theoretical constructs of role conflict and incomplete professionalization serve as valid explanations of pharmacists' professional satisfaction or dissatisfaction. A sample of registered pharmacists in Oklahoma responded to a mail-out questionnaire containing indicies designed to measure job satisfaction and professional satisfaction. The questionnaire also included a satisfaction inventory of 17 facets considered to characterize pharmacy as a profession. From the questionnaire respondents, samples of pharmacists demonstrating extreme professional satisfaction and extreme dissatisfaction were randomly selected for telephone interviews. This study found pharmacists' professional satisfaction to be significantly less than satisfaction with their job. The study results would indicate that incomplete professionalization and internalized career goals rather than role conflicts are significantly related to pharmacist professional satisfaction.

Pharmacist and physician evaluation of drug information sources

A survey was conducted to compare how pharmacists and physicians in Tennessee rated six sources of drug information (journals, textbooks, physicians, pharmacists, the Physicians' Desk Reference and detail men) in nine different categories. A one-page questionnaire was mailed to a 10% random sample of pharmacists and physicians. The physicians rated professional journals and the PDR consistently good and rated the pharmacist poor as a source of drug information. Pharmacists rated textbooks good and rated physicians poor for some categories of information. Both groups found the available information in certain categories to be inadequate.