THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PROFESSIONAL ROLE OF THE PHARMACIST DURING VARIOUS STAGES OF SOCIALIZATION

The present study was conducted in order to shed more light on the socialization of the future members of the pharmacy profession. The pattern underlying the professional orientation in pharmacy was analyzed in light of the study of facets of the relevant components of the professional role. These role components were People, Status and Science related.; A questionnaire consisting of five sections was used to gather data which allowed both cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses at four stages of socialization including three years as students and one year post graduation. The five sections of the questionnaire were: (1) Demographic Scale; (2) Opinion of Tranquilizer Drugs Scale (with three subscales); (3) Community Health Orientation Scale; (4) Qualities of a Good Pharmacist Scale (with three subscales); (5) Professionalism Scale (with seven subscales).; Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, correlation analysis and stepwise multiple regression depending on the nature of the specific hypotheses or study questions. Reliability testing using the Alpha technique was applied to each scale and subscale.; For the most part, students did not experience dramatic changes from the initial attitudes "imported" to the socialization process. Antecedent factors seemed to play a more important role in shaping and molding the professional role of the socializes as compared to the socialization forces taking place in the socializing institution or the practice setting. Subjects in general agreed highly with the desirable traits for the professional pharmacists, were moderately conservative and knowledgable in relation to issues of tranquilizer drugs. Respondents also held a moderate position with regards to community orientation and a fairly low position in regard to components of the Professionalism Scale.; Compared to antecedent factors, components of the professional role played a minor part in predicting future practice plans anticipated by the socializees. However, when we put these components to use as predictors of each other, an interesting pattern was seen in the shift of relative emphasis between any two components experienced at different stages of socialization.; It is concluded that the development of the professional role of the pharmacists throughout the socialization stages represents a complex and dynamic process. This process is affected by countervailing forces, and influenced strongly by entering factors but less strongly by the educational experience.