Student pharmacist perspectives of rural pharmacy practice

Objective: To evaluate the level of interest of upper-level doctor of pharmacy students in rural pharmacy practice, rural pharmacy ownership, and a proposed rural pharmacy practice model. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota in October through December 2003. Participants: Third- and fourth-year professional student pharmacists at the University of Minnesota, North Dakota State University, and South Dakota State University. Intervention: Self-administered questionnaire completed by study participants. Main Outcome Measures: Student interest in rural pharmacy practice and potential future directions for maintaining access to medications and the knowledge of pharmacists in rural communities. Results: Of 177 respondents, 62.7% has given serious consideration to practice in rural communities with populations of 5,000 or fewer residents. Of these 111 students, 81% would be interested in the proposed practice model explained in the survey. Of the 108 total students expressing interest in the proposed rural pharmacy practice model, 63% had not previously given serious consideration to pursuing ownership (full or partnership) of a community pharmacy. Conclusion: Students from the schools that have traditionally supplied the majority of Minnesota rural pharmacists indicated an interest in practicing in rural areas as long as opportunities align with their personal and professional interests.