title: Antecedents of patients' trust in pharmacists: empirical investigation in the United Arab Emirates.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To empirically identify the antecedents that influence patients trust in pharmacists.
  
  
  METHODS
  A survey was conducted among 500 patients who visited community pharmacies in Al Ain City, United Arab Emirates. The questionnaire included the measures for constructs such as patients' perception of pharmacist communication, pharmacists' technical competence, medication self-efficacy, satisfaction with pharmacy and trust in pharmacists.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The data were analysed using partial least-squares structural equation modelling approach to check the validity and reliability of the measures and to validate the proposed hypotheses of the study. Pharmacist communication, pharmacists' technical competence, satisfaction with pharmacy and patients' medication self-efficacy were found to significantly influence patients' trust in pharmacists.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study is the first one that has empirically identified the antecedents of trust in pharmacists. The study has established that patients' perception of pharmacist communication and pharmacists' technical competence positively influence trust in pharmacists as antecedents but not constitute trust itself as had been found in the previous research. Apart from enhancing pharmacists' technical competence and communication, the pharmacy organizations and policymakers should improve patients' satisfaction with pharmacy and patients' medication self-efficacy to enhance patients' trust in pharmacists.
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, Al Ain University of Science & Technology, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates.
authors.forename: Ayisha
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Siddiqua
authors.affiliation: Institute of Management Technology, Dubai International Academic City, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
authors.forename: Waheed
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kareem Abdul
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, Al Ain University of Science & Technology, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates.
authors.forename: Shatha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ayan
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, Al Ain University of Science & Technology, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates.
authors.forename: Lamis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Al Azm
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, Al Ain University of Science & Technology, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ali
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003142:Communication; D003157:Community Pharmacy Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010595:Pharmacists / Q000523:psychology*; D011361:Professional Competence; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D020377:Self Efficacy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D035502:Trust; D014479:United Arab Emirates; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Community Pharmacy; Medication self-efficacy; Patients’ trust in pharmacists; Satisfaction with pharmacy; UAE