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Factors influencing pharmacy students' attitudes towards pharmacy practice research and strategies for promoting research interest in pharmacy practice.

ABSTRACT: OBJECTIVES: To (1) investigate the relationships between students' characteristics and their (a) perceptions of research in general and (b) attitudes towards pharmacy practice research; (2) identify strategies that could be used by pharmacy educators to promote research interest in pharmacy practice; and (3) identify perceived barriers to the pursuit or completion of a pharmacy practice research degree. METHODS: A survey was administered to all students enrolled in each year of the four-year pharmacy undergraduate program, University of Sydney, Australia. Perceptions of research in general were measured using 4 items on a five-point semantic-differential scale and attitudes towards pharmacy practice research were measured using 16 items on a five-point Likert scale. Student characteristics were also collected as were responses to open-ended questions which were analysed using content analysis. RESULTS: In total 853 students participated and completed the survey (83% response rate). Participants' characteristics were associated with some but not all aspects of research and pharmacy practice research. It appeared that positive attitudes and perspectives were influenced strongly by exposure to the 'research' process through projects, friends or mentors, previous degrees or having future intentions to pursue a research degree. Results from both the quantitative and qualitative analyses suggest positive attitudes and perceptions of research can be nurtured through the formal inclusion in research processes, particularly the utility of practice research in clinical practice across the four years of study. Participants indicated there was a lack of awareness of the needs, benefits and career opportunities associated with pharmacy practice research and voiced clear impediments in their career path with respect to the choice of practice research-related careers. CONCLUSIONS: Future research should investigate changes in perceptions and attitudes in a single cohort over the four-year degree, other factors influencing students' perceptions and attitudes, and evaluate the effectiveness of research promoting strategies and programs.

SUBMITTER: Kritikos VS

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4582744 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Apr-Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Factors influencing pharmacy students' attitudes towards pharmacy practice research and strategies for promoting research interest in pharmacy practice.

Kritikos Vicky S VS Saini Bandana B Carter Stephen S Moles Rebekah J RJ Krass Ines I

Pharmacy practice 20150401 3

<h4>Objectives</h4>To (1) investigate the relationships between students' characteristics and their (a) perceptions of research in general and (b) attitudes towards pharmacy practice research; (2) identify strategies that could be used by pharmacy educators to promote research interest in pharmacy practice; and (3) identify perceived barriers to the pursuit or completion of a pharmacy practice research degree.<h4>Methods</h4>A survey was administered to all students enrolled in each year of the ...[more]

PMID: 26445620

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Project description:BackgroundThe Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists promotes the recruitment of residency-trained pharmacists for work in hospitals and related health care settings. However, Quebec hospitals are still hiring non-residency trained pharmacists, in part because of a severe shortage of hospital pharmacists. To date, no studies have examined the factors influencing the career choices of fourth-year pharmacy students in Canada.ObjectivesTo identify motivating factors and barriers influencing students' decision to pursue a hospital pharmacy residency.MethodsAll 186 fourth-year students in the Faculty of Pharmacy, Université de Montréal, were invited by e-mail to participate in a validated and institutionally approved survey that was available online between March and May 2014.ResultsOf the 138 respondents who returned a completed survey (74% response rate), 36 (26%) planned to apply for a hospital pharmacy residency. Those planning to apply for a residency were older (p = 0.037) and had more hospital work experience (36% versus 3%, p < 0.001) than those not planning to apply. The most important motivators for pursuing a residency were potential gains in knowledge (reported by 88% of respondents, whether or not they were planning to pursue a residency), experience (80%), and self-confidence (62%). The most frequently reported barriers were recognition that a hospital pharmacy residency is a highly demanding program (65%), having work available upon graduation from the undergraduate program (43%), and financial obligations (34%). Hospital experiential rotations influenced, either positively or negatively, 23 (72%) of the 32 students who changed their decision to pursue or not pursue residency training over the course of their studies.ConclusionsThe potential gain in knowledge and experience acquired through residency, the fact that it is considered a highly demanding program, and having work available upon graduation from undergraduate studies were the most influential factors in fourth-year pharmacy students' decision of whether to pursue a hospital pharmacy residency.

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Factors influencing pharmacy students' attitudes towards pharmacy practice research and strategies for promoting research interest in pharmacy practice.

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Factors influencing pharmacy students' attitudes towards pharmacy practice research and strategies for promoting research interest in pharmacy practice.

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