Sociodemographic factors determining the choice of pharmacy and the level of trust in pharmacists - a 2024 cross-sectional pilot survey in Poland.

The role of pharmacists and pharmacies has changed in Poland. Since 2021, a pharmacist can provide health services as part of pharmaceutical care. For this reason, we conducted an analysis of the perception of pharmacies and pharmacists by Polish society, focusing on factors influencing the choice of a pharmacy and trust in pharmacists.The cross-sectional study was conducted on May 10-13, 2024, on a representative nationwide sample of 1,126 adults.Sociodemographic factors influenced the choice of pharmacy and trust in it. Younger people (18-24 years old) gave priority to price, married people considered both price and location. Rural residents placed emphasis on product availability, and people who often buy medicines looked for pharmacies near physician's offices. Trust in pharmacists was higher among older people, married people and people with higher education. Logistic regression analysis showed that age 65 years and older (p < 0.001), financial status (p < 0.001) and frequency of medicine purchase (p < 0.001) influenced trust in pharmacists. Marriage (p < 0.01) and rural residence (p < 0.01) were associated with choice of pharmacies based on location. Price was influenced by age (30-39 years) (p < 0.05), marital status (p < 0.05) and frequency of medicine purchase (p < 0.001). More than half of respondents perceived pharmacies as places of health care, indicating a change in their role. However, convenience and price were dominant factors, with 61.8% choosing pharmacies due to proximity and 40.9% due to low prices. The survey found that 79.9% of respondents trusted pharmacists, but only 11.5% chose a pharmacy based on trust.