Int J Pharm Pract. 2026 May 22:riag067. doi: 10.1093/ijpp/riag067. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Faced with local and global shortages of academic pharmacists, this study aimed to determine Nigerian pharmacy students’ interest in academia to inform policies for strengthening the academic pharmacist workforce.
METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among Nigerian pharmacy students between May and August 2024. Data were collected via online and paper-based validated questionnaires covering sociodemographic, academic characteristics, writing self-efficacy, writing apprehension, and research publication needs assessment. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS version 27, with P < .05 indicating significance.
KEY FINDINGS: Of 607 responses, 56% were women and 95% were under 30 years old. Community pharmacy was the most favoured practice area (35%), while academia was the least (7%). Over 80% desired to publish research and enrol in a research mentorship program. Gender {AOR = 0.573 (0.358-0.916)}, previous peer-reviewed publication {AOR = 1.877 (1.067-3.303)}, preferred pharmacy practice if remuneration was equal across the different pharmacy practice areas {AOR 5.442 (2.285-12.965)}, and research publication needs assessment score {AOR 1.014 (1.001-1.027)} significantly predicted interest in academic pharmacy. The logistic model (X2 (18) = 150.1, P < .001) explained 38% of variance and classified 74.3% of cases correctly.
CONCLUSIONS: A relatively low percentage of students initially prefer academic pharmacy, and less than half show high intrinsic interest. Gender, previous publication, pharmacy practice preferences under equal remuneration, and research needs assessment predict academic pharmacy interest. These findings highlight motivations and structural barriers, such as remuneration and writing-related concerns, suggesting avenues for interventions to enhance Nigeria’s academic pharmacist workforce.
PMID:42172052 | DOI:10.1093/ijpp/riag067
