Predictors of job satisfaction amongst pharmacists in Malaysian public hospitals and healthcare clinics

Background: For the past 10 years, the pharmacist workforce in Malaysia has experienced radical changes in demography, job scope and expectations as well as remuneration due to a drastic surge in the number of pharmacists employed in the public sector.

Aim: To investigate the level of job satisfaction amongst pharmacists working in the public sector in Malaysia.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted amongst registered pharmacists working in three of the most populated states in Malaysia. A validated questionnaire consisting of three sections was used to investigate intrinsic and extrinsic factors of job satisfaction and their overall job satisfaction.

Results: Analysis of responses from 161 pharmacists revealed significant differences in job satisfaction with age and length of service. Pharmacists within the age group of 35–45 years were more satisfied with their jobs than younger pharmacists. Findings also showed that pharmacists who had been working for more than 7 years tended to be more satisfied with their jobs. Type of institution, position held and gender did not appear to influence job satisfaction. Intrinsic factors such as autonomy, contribution, creativity and challenge had significant impact on job satisfaction; creativity had the strongest impact as compared with other factors. Extrinsic factors such as salary, supervision feedback and job atmosphere also had significant impact on job satisfaction.

Conclusion: Only 52% of the pharmacists who responded were satisfied with their current jobs. The study outcomes indicate the major factors that affect pharmacists’ job satisfaction. Factors affecting job satisfaction could be used by policy makers and pharmacy managers to design retention strategies.