Exploring the Brand Image of Pharmacy Using a Modified Nursing Framework

Area of Science:

• Pharmacy Practice
• Healthcare Branding
• Professional Image

Background:

• The Brand Image of Nursing (BIN) Conceptual Framework© provides a model for understanding professional brand perception.
• Applying branding principles to pharmacy can illuminate perceptions of the profession's current and desired image.
• Understanding pharmacist perceptions is crucial for developing effective professional branding strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore pharmacist perceptions of their profession's current versus desired brand image.
• To adapt and apply the BIN Conceptual Framework© to the field of pharmacy.
• To identify key stakeholders responsible for shaping the brand image of pharmacy.

Main Methods:

• Conducted 50 facilitated discussion groups with 423 participants at a national pharmacy conference.
• Employed inductive qualitative content analysis to identify thematic patterns in perceptions of pharmacy's brand.
• Examined current and desired brand attributes and influential stakeholders.

Main Results:

• Identified significant discrepancies between current and desired perceptions of the pharmacy profession.
• Desired attributes include recognition as medication experts, healthcare providers, and essential care team members.
• Pharmacy faces challenges including a lack of unified messaging, public undervaluation, limited visibility, and unclear role understanding, similar to nursing's identified gaps in leadership and autonomy.

Conclusions:

• Strategic, profession-wide branding initiatives are essential for advancing the pharmacy profession.
• The BIN Conceptual Framework© offers a valuable model for guiding pharmacy branding efforts.
• Unified messaging from pharmacists, educators, and associations is critical for elevating the profession's image and influence in healthcare.