The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 280 No 7489 p183-186
16 February 2008

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Images of pharmacy as a career: a survey among groups of year 12 students at school

By Jill Jesson, Keith A. Wilson, Chris A. Langley and Katie Hatfield

Abstract

Aim
To explore the images and perceptions of pharmacy with potential applicants to undergraduate pharmacy education.

Design
Four interactive focus groups involving 40 volunteer year 12 students (age 17). The focus group theme plan was designed after a review of relevant literature. A novel approach was employed using photographic images of pharmacists and doctors in varied settings.

Subjects and setting
The research was carried out in six schools in the West Midlands, UK.

Results
The students presented a rather negative image of pharmacy as a boring occupation in a laboratory or the back of a shop. Most had little idea of what pharmacists actually do. Unlike nursing, they were unaware of positive role models in the media. The small number who did have a realistic idea of pharmacy based it on their previous work experience in pharmacy.

Conclusions
The focus group technique is useful for exploring hitherto untapped perceptions of the profession. Undertaking research with year 12 students provided some useful insights into the ways in which pharmacy as a profession is perceived.

Although no claims to generalisability are made here, the results were fed into the design of quantitative surveys. The somewhat negative image presented suggests that the profession has more work to do in marketing itself to young people as a potential career choice.