[Gender and professional practice in community pharmacy: A survey of community pharmacists]

The significant feminization of the community pharmacy profession invites us to examine potential differences in how male and female pharmacists perceive their work. Despite this marked feminization, can we still observe gender inequalities within the profession?

This study is based on an online questionnaire developed using LimeSurvey, entitled "Relationship to Work of Community Pharmacists", distributed to French community pharmacists, including pharmacy owners, assistants, locums, and temporary pharmacists.

The survey included 378 respondents. Some results suggest a certain weariness among men regarding their profession. For example, they reported less often "feeling proud of what they do" (38% of men vs. 56% of women) but more often "feeling bored by repetitive tasks" (32% of men vs. 13% of women). Other results reveal persistent discrimination: 36% of women reported that their skills had already been questioned because of their gender, compared with 7% of men.

This study provides an initial overview of differences in perception between male and female community pharmacists regarding their work and the gender-based discrimination they encounter within the profession.