Exploring the relationship between pharmacists' job satisfaction, intention to quit the profession, and actual quitting.

BACKGROUND To date there has been no published research on the link between job satisfaction and intentions to quit the profession among pharmacists. OBJECTIVE To explore job satisfaction, intentions to quit the profession, and actual quitting among pharmacists on the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain Register. METHODS Job satisfaction of pharmacists was measured as part of a workforce census using a validated satisfaction scale. Pharmacists were asked about their intentions to quit pharmacy within the next 2 years and follow-up was done using secondary analysis to see if they had quit within this timescale. Mean values for the satisfaction scale items were recorded and regression techniques were used to explore factors affecting job satisfaction and intentions to quit. The workforce census questionnaire was completed by 32,181 pharmacists (response rate=76.6%). This article considers the job satisfaction and intentions to quit of pharmacists under state pension age who were working in the community, hospital, and primary care sectors (n=21,889). RESULTS Overall, pharmacists appeared to be satisfied with their work, although female pharmacists were more satisfied than their male counterparts. Pharmacists working in the community sector were less satisfied than those in other sectors. Remuneration was consistently ranked as 1 of the aspects of their work that pharmacists found least satisfying, regardless of age, sex, or sector of practice. Strength of desire to practice pharmacy was a predictor of both job satisfaction and intentions to quit pharmacy. CONCLUSIONS Several factors were found to affect pharmacists' intentions to quit the profession including sex, age, job satisfaction, and strength of desire to practice pharmacy. However, only a relatively small proportion of pharmacists who expressed an intention to leave the profession appeared to have done so, suggesting that intentions may not be translated into action in this group of pharmacists.