Oklahoma pharmacists' explanations of professional satisfaction and dissatisfaction

This study examined whether the theoretical constructs of role conflict and incomplete professionalization serve as valid explanations of pharmacists' professional satisfaction or dissatisfaction. A sample of registered pharmacists in Oklahoma responded to a mail-out questionnaire containing indicies designed to measure job satisfaction and professional satisfaction. The questionnaire also included a satisfaction inventory of 17 facets considered to characterize pharmacy as a profession. From the questionnaire respondents, samples of pharmacists demonstrating extreme professional satisfaction and extreme dissatisfaction were randomly selected for telephone interviews. This study found pharmacists' professional satisfaction to be significantly less than satisfaction with their job. The study results would indicate that incomplete professionalization and internalized career goals rather than role conflicts are significantly related to pharmacist professional satisfaction.