Assessing the relationship between pharmacists' job satisfaction and over-the-counter counselling at community pharmacies

Abstract

Background: Community pharmacies have an increasing role in self-medication and community health is dependent on the quality of counselling services provided to patients. Some studies show that pharmacists' job satisfaction affects their work quality; other studies found that higher involvement in clinical services increases pharmacists' job satisfaction.

Objective: To test the relationship between job satisfaction and over-the-counter counselling practice at community pharmacies.

Setting: Community pharmacies in Lithuania.

Method: A convenience sample (n = 305) of community pharmacists participated in the cross-sectional survey where they expressed satisfaction with job and reported on their over-the-counter counselling behaviour on self-report scales. The Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling approach was employed for data analysis.

Main outcome measure: The strength of the relationship between job satisfaction and over-the-counter counselling service.

Results: A bidirectional relationship between job satisfaction and over-the-counter counselling service was found. In addition, job satisfaction and over-the-counter counselling quality depended on pharmacists' age.

Conclusion: Organizations were recommended to create a counselling friendly environment that would increase pharmacists' job satisfaction and, in return, counselling quality. Also, additional motivation of the retired pharmacists, as well as development of counselling skills of the younger pharmacy workforce, were seen as a means to improve both organizational climate and counselling quality over the counter.

Keywords: Counselling; Job satisfaction; Lithuania; Over-the-counter medicines; Self-medication.