Birth order and communication skills of pharmacy students

Pharmacy educators are training graduates in a concept of practice called pharmaceutical care. The movement towards patient care requires consideration of the personal and social qualities of trainees. All individuals attracted to pharmacy may not desire involvement in patient care. This preliminary study of pharmacy students of the relationships among birth order, empathy, and assertiveness behaviors using the Interpersonal Communication Inventory showed the incidence of firstborn students in this sample was not significantly higher than in the general population but the incidence of those born second was significantly lower. Regression analysis of individual items gave significant correlations between birth order and three items on the inventory. While few conclusions can be drawn, a clear direction for further research is indicated.