Explaining the influence behind Malaysia's pharmacy students' career choices within the pharmaceutical industry

Objective: The pharmaceutical industry has been portrayed as a promising sector for pharmacy graduates. Nonetheless, little is known about pharmacy students' preferences, knowledge, and attitudes toward careers in the pharmaceutical industry, as well as the factors that may influence them. Method: A self-developed questionnaire was administered to pharmacy students in public and private universities in Malaysia from October to November 2018 via online platforms. Results: Only 38.8% out of 433 students who completed the survey stated their preference for working in the pharmaceutical industry. The mean (SD) of knowledge, perceived syllabus, and attitudes related to pharmaceutical industry career preferences were 8.73 (1.77) (full score of 12), 28.50 (5.83) (full score of 40), and 30.59 (4.32) (full score of 50), respectively. Students from private universities, those in years one and three of study, and those with higher attitude scores were more likely to choose the pharmaceutical industry as their career option. Conclusion: Increasing exposure to pharmaceutical industry careers that involve patient contact and clinical knowledge application is needed to improve students' attitudes toward pursuing a career in this field.