title: An Analysis of Job Satisfaction among Iranian Pharmacists through Various Job Characteristics.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pharmacists and pharmaceutical services are among the most important resources and programs in providing health for a society. Pharmacists as the key players in presenting health services, greatly impact on the health of a society and if they suffer low job satisfaction, their dissatisfaction may relatively threaten health in a society. This study was conducted to determine Iranian pharmacists' job satisfaction and additionally, some causes of dissatisfaction among pharmacists have been diagnosed.
  
  
  METHODS
  A job satisfaction questionnaire was developed and reliability tests were done by some experts in field of pharmacy practice. A sample of 700 pharmacists was selected among ten leading provinces of the country and questionnaires were distributed at the continuing pharmacy education conferences. Three essential factors named "Endogenous Satisfaction", "Exogenous Satisfaction" and "Current Sense of Being Pharmacists" was considered as the main job satisfaction factors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Generally low scores of exogenous and endogenous job satisfaction were concluded among pharmacists while most of them were highly satisfied with being pharmacist. Male pharmacists were more satisfied than their female colleagues and a positive relationship between age and work experience with exogenous job satisfaction was found.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Low levels of job satisfaction which were found among Iranian pharmacists could be considered as a deficiency of health system in Iran. Fortunately, inherent interest in the pharmacy profession found among Iranian pharmacists is an optimistic point at which policy-makers could develop their modifying policies. Health policy-makers must endeavor to take other steps to issue solutions for this current problem.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacoeconomics and Pharma Management, School of Pharmacy, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohamad Javad
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Foroughi Moghadam
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacoeconomics and Pharma Management, School of Pharmacy, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Farzad
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Peiravian
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Azadeh
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Naderi
authors.affiliation: Iran Management and Productivity Study Center, Tarbiat Modarres University (TMU) ,Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rajabzadeh
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacoeconomics and Pharma Management, School of Pharmacy, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Hamid Reza
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Rasekh
keywords: Iran; Job characteristics; Job performance; Job satisfaction; Pharmacist