Primary Healthcare Pharmacists’ Perceived Organizational Support and Turnover Intention: Do Gender Differences Exist?

Ziqing Li,* Jiayuan Liu,* Haotao Li, Yuankai Huang, Xiaoyu Xi The Research Center of National Drug Policy and Ecosystem, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Yuankai Huang; Xiaoyu Xi, The Research Center of National Drug Policy and Ecosystem, China Pharmaceutical University, Longmian Avenue 639, Jiangning District, Nanjing, 211198, People’s Republic of China, Email hyk@cpu.edu.cn; xixy@cpu.edu.cnPurpose: This study aims to explore the relationship between the four-dimensional structured perceived organizational support (emotional support, instrumental support, supervisor support, and coworker support) and the turnover intention of pharmacists in primary healthcare institutions. The gender differences between perceived organizational support and turnover intention will also be examined.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in primary healthcare institutions of 31 cities in China from 2 July to 1 September 2021. And the binary logistic regression model was employed for data analysis.Results: 937 valid questionnaires are allocated from pharmacists in primary healthcare institutions. The regression results indicated that emotional support (b=0.073, p< 0.001) has a significant influence on pharmacists’ turnover intention, and the effect of supervisor support (b=0.173, p=0.046) on pharmacists’ turnover intention differs by gender.Conclusion: These findings offer suggestions for the management and stabilization of pharmacists in primary healthcare institutions. It is suggested that specific measures should be taken to increase pharmacists’ perceived organizational support and reduce their turnover intention. At the same time, gender differences need to be taken into consideration by the managers when providing perceived organizational support to reduce their turnover intention through adaptive management.Keywords: primary healthcare pharmacist, turnover intention, perceived organizational support, emotional support, supervisor support, gender