Global comparison of professional positioning by pharmacy programs towards prospective students

Abstract

© 2020 Elsevier Inc. Background: Enrolment of capable prospective students for pharmacy programs is a major priority for the profession. The way in which these students perceive a future career in pharmacy may be dependent on how programs position the profession using recruitment material. Objectives: Objectives were to determine how top ranked pharmacy programs across 5 countries position the profession to prospective students on website recruitment material and to compare similarities and differences in how programs use speech acts within positioning statements. Methods: A qualitative, thematic analysis of publicly available online recruitment information extracted from the top 2 ranked English-speaking pharmacy programs (according to 2018 QS rankings) from each of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, United Kingdom, and the United States was completed. Results: Three positioning themes were identified: Pharmacists as health professionals and medicines experts; Pharmacists evolving role as care providers; and Pharmacist diversity in careers. Programs used questions, statistics, and carefully selected words to engage readers, backup statements with evidence, and market positioning statements to younger generations. Conclusions: Pharmacy programs position the profession using similar themes but use different strategies to relay positioning messages to prospective students. These findings may have implications for fostering prospective student interest in pharmacy programs.