Comparison of Pharmacy Student’s and Other Students’ Attitude towards Ethical Issues in Professional Practices: A Case of Community Pharmacist

Abstract

Objective: To compare pharmacy student’s and other students’ attitudetowards ethical issues in professional practices of community pharmacists.Methods: Data were collected from third and fifth year students inpharmacy school, and second and fourth year students in other schools,from 3 universities. Using the self-administered questionnaire, they wereasked to give their opinion from strongly disagree “0” to strongly agree “10”towards a case study related to pharmacy professional ethics of communitypharmacist. The data were collected during January to February 2007.Results: The sample included 255 pharmacy students and 266 studentsfrom other schools. The results revealed that samples did not agree withthe decision of the community pharmacist in the pharmacy practice casestudy. Pharmacy students’ did not agree with the case (1.2  1.9) ratherthan those of other students (2.4  2.8) significantly (P < 0.001). Mostsubjects reflected that practice of the pharmacist affects both patients andsociety since non-pharmacist dispenses the medicine. Although studentsdid not agree with the pharmacist practice, more than 60% of themaccepted the practice with a reason of “the pharmacist respects the rulethat a pharmacist has a duty to control drug dispensing in a drug store.”Conclusion: Students’ attitude and acceptance towards ethical issues incommunity pharmacy practice were separated. The students did not takeinto account the purpose of law or pharmacy ethic code in their response.Therefore, academic sectors must focus on developing students’ criticalthinking ability.Keywords: professional ethics, community pharmacy, pharmacy students,pharmacy profession