Background: As the Korean society gets older, it is important for community pharmacists to provide medication counseling, drug review and management service. Pharmacists are expected to increase patients’ medication adherence, manage drug side effects, lower health care costs and help them make better health decisions throughout providing personalized care as a designated pharmacist. Objectives: This study was designed to examine the pharmacists’ intention toward participating in the designated pharmacy program (DPP) and to investigate the relevant factors within the theoretical frame of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). Methods: A mail survey was conducted for community pharmacists in Gwangju Metropolitan City in South Korea. The survey questionnaire consisting of 55 questions with a 5-likert scale was developed to measure the effects of pharmacists’ attitude (A), subjective norm (SN), perceived behavioral control (PBC) as well as other anticipatory relevant factors on the intention for DPP. To estimate the construct validity of components, factor analysis was conducted and Cronbach’s alpha was calculated to estimate the reliability of the observed variables. Multiple regression analyses were performed using SPSS 18.0. Results: The survey response rate was 52.5% (105/200). Cronbach’s alpha coefficients showed reliability for A (.728), SN (.726), and PBC (.605). The A (β=.19, p<.01), SN (β=.24, p<.01), and PBC (β=.49, p<.01) constructs in TPB model were significant predictors of the pharmacists’ intention to participate in the DPP. Conclusion: Community pharmacists showed generally positive intention to enroll in the DPP and especially, PBC was the most important factor to predict their intention. Future research to find the actual barriers pharmacists faced in engaging the DPP need to be conducted.

Keywords: Designated pharmacy program, Community pharmacist, Theory of planned behavior