Professional status and role of a pharmaceutical specialist: expert opinion

Self-assessment of the status and role of a pharmaceutical specialist is an important element of professionalization. To evaluate the opinion of the professional pharmaceutical community on the status and role of pharmaceutical specialist in the society, an expert interview of the heads of pharmaceutical organizations (N=32) was conducted. Experts revealed that the prestige of the profession of a pharmaceutical specialist has decreased and that the social significance of the profession was underestimated, affecting the professional status. The role of pharmacists is expanding–in addition to drug dispensing and manufacturing; thus, it becomes important to form a high level of satisfaction of the population as pharmaceutical care consumers and to participate in public health and health process together with the doctor. Actual conditions of the pharmaceutical specialist activity affect the status held in the society, and the proper performance of the functions of providing pharmaceutical assistance determines the further development of the profession.