Drug pushers or health care professionals: the public's perceptions of pharmacy as a profession

Abstract

Abstract This study explores the extent to which consumers view pharmacy as a fully fledged profession that commands and fulfils a legitimate role in the primary health care team, or alternatively as just another retailer in the high street who happens to sell drugs instead of newspapers. The data were generated through the use of five focus groups involving a total of 23 participants. These group discussions were tape-recorded and transcribed. The resulting data were analysed using the definitions of “professions” and “professionalisation” as found in the sociological literature. The results may be seen by the profession as very encouraging. While there are a few grey areas in the lay public's understanding of pharmacy, the overall feelings expressed were ones of recognition of the profession, understanding of its area of expertise, and support for the role it is playing.