Perceptions of Pharmacists: The Effects of the Smoking Issue

Tobacco products are becoming increasingly controversial because of their detrimental effects on health. Nonetheless. these products continue to generate profits and store traffic for many retail pharmacies. The sale of ciearettes is loeicallv inconsistent with the health care role of pharmacists and isYther&ore hypothesized to have a negative effect on public attitudes toward pharmacists. An antismoking campaign should be perceived as consistent with the role of a health care professional and is hypothesized to have a positive effect on the public's perception of retail pharmacists. This study reports an experimental investigation of these hypotheses. The sale of cigarettes in pharmacies was found to have a strong negative effect on nonsmoking respondents' attitudes toward retail pharmacists. It was found to have no effect-either positive or negative -on smoking respondents' attitudes. An antismoking campalgn produced no measurable effects with either group.