Level of pharmacy practice and job satisfaction of adult clinical and psychopharmacy pharmacists.

Two hundred fifty questionnaires were mailed to randomly selected members of the Psychopharmacy Special Interest Group (PS) and Adult Clinical Special Interest Group (ACS) of the American Society of Hospital Pharmacists. Questionnaires were designed to demographically characterize each group and compare levels of job satisfaction, job characteristics, sources of conflict, and levels of practice in pharmacy-based, clinical, educational, and administrative activities. Both groups were found to be slightly satisfied to satisfied with their jobs. PS members were significantly more satisfied than ACS members with the amount of visible impact their work had on their patients. Administrators and physicians were the greatest source of conflict for both groups. Individual job satisfaction items that correlated most strongly with overall job satisfaction were opportunity to do something meaningful, degree of job challenge, and opportunity to utilize skills. Careful attention to these aspects of practice by skilled administrators may enhance job satisfaction in the practice areas studied.