Challenges encountered by student pharmacists undertaking a research project at one school of pharmacy in the United States
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.46542/pe.2026.261.468474Keywords:
Curricular revision, Pharmacy research, Research projectAbstract
Background: There is a lack of research exploring the challenges encountered by student pharmacists undertaking a research project. This information is needed to optimise the curriculum and improve the students’ learning experience. This study explored the challenges encountered when undertaking a research project from the student pharmacists’ perspective.
Methods: Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted online with fourth-year student pharmacists at one United States College of Pharmacy during Winter 2024 and Spring 2025. Interviews were conducted by neutral, trained researchers following the interview guide. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed, then thematically analysed by independent researchers to code the data and identify themes.
Results: Overall, 11 student pharmacists participated in the semi-structured interviews. Two themes representing intrinsic factors and extrinsic factors that caused challenges in completing a research project in the pharmacy program were identified. Theme 1 (intrinsic factors) included students’ lack of research interest and competing priorities. Theme 2 (extrinsic factors) included lack of research support and difficulty navigating the institutional review board process.
Conclusion: The findings of this qualitative analysis may be helpful for curriculum committees to help improve student pharmacists’ learning experiences. Additional research is warranted to investigate additional avenues of the pharmacy research project process.
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