EXPECTATION OF COMMUNITY PHARMACISTS TOWARDS WORKING IN INDEPENDENT DRUGSTORE

Abstract

Since 2013 the regulation issued by the Ministry of Public Health has required that all drugstores need to have at least one pharmacist on duty throughout their working hours. The objectives of this study were to explore the community pharmacists’ expectations on their earnings and responsibilities while working at independent drug stores. The data were collected from questionnaires sent between 14 January and 15 March 2017 to full-time pharmacists working in quality drugstores throughout Thailand. Additional data were further collected from full-time pharmacists who attended the Drugstore Association Annual Meeting at BITEC Bangna, Bangkok on 19 March 2017. A total of 299 questionnaires were used for analysis. Descriptive statistics was employed in the analysis. The findings showed that most pharmacists expected to earn 5,001 - 10,000 baht for their pharmacy license, receive a salary of 25,001 - 35,000 baht per month, and receive 100 to 150 baht per hour for overtime. For their expectations on duties as community pharmacists the results showed that their expectations on “management of drug inventory” were at the highest level (mean = 4.35, which was followed by “basic pharmacy services” and “extra pharmacy services”, respectively, at the high levels (mean = 4.15; 3.58). The findings from this study would be used to guide drugstore entrepreneurs in order to understand pharmacists’ expectations on earnings and responsibilities should they be hired to work full-time at independent drugstores in the future.