A survey exploring perceptions and influences of professional dress in the profession of pharmacy

Background: Limited data exist on pharmacy preceptors' and student pharmacists’ perceptions of appropriate attire. This study compared views on professional dress clothing and influencing factors between students and preceptors. Methods: An electronic survey was distributed to pharmacy preceptors and P1-P4 students over 14 days, assessing four domains: (1) perceptions of 33 clothing images, (2) influencing factors, (3) demographics, and (4) open-ended comments. Descriptive statistics and Mann-Whitney U tests were used to estimate effect sizes. Results: Most preceptors were female, white, and aged 25–44, while most students were female, Asian, and aged 18–24. Employment in pharmacy was more common among P2–P4s (90%) than P1s (73%), with 303 participants completing Part One. While there was general agreement on clothing professionalism among the groups, P1s rated 24 clothing images (15 professional, 9 unprofessional) significantly lower than P2–P4s and preceptors, showing a negative rank-biserial correlation. In Part Two (n=301), students cited family and friends as more influential, while preceptors valued patient/client influence more. P1s were notably influenced by social media (p=.001), and comments highlighted preceptors' impact on student dress for P2-P4s. Conclusion: Preceptors and P2-P4s shared similar views on professional dress, while P1s were stricter in their assessments. Participants' views were mainly influenced by people.