Social determinants associated with ethical decision-making among community pharmacists

Objectives
This study was done to determine the social factors which influenced the community pharmacists’ values, ethical dilemmas and the predictors which contributed in their ethical decision-making.

Study setting
This study was conducted in Tirunelveli district, Tamilnadu among the pharmacists working in community pharmacies.

Study design
A cross-sectional study was done to determine the exposure and outcome simultaneously.

Data collection
The participants were selected using a multistage sampling technique. Correlation analysis between the independent and dependent variables were done to determine the social factors, which influenced the community pharmacists’ values, ethical dilemmas. Stepwise regression was done to determine the predictors, which contributed in their ethical decision-making.

Principal findings
The independent variables (age, gender, work experience, education qualification, number of pharmacists per pharmacy, pharmacy location) had correlations with the dependent variable (ethical dilemma). Two variables (age and work experience) have significantly contributed to the ethical decision-making of the community pharmacists.

Conclusions
In this study, social determinants ‘age’ and ‘work experience’ are the predictors which contributed to the ethical dilemmas of the community pharmacists which in turn impact their values and decision-making. Work experience was the strongest predictor.