Knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of pharmacy students towards clinical pharmacy in Türkiye: insights from a multicenter cross-sectional study

Clinical pharmacy has a history of nearly 30 years in Türkiye, and the formal employment of clinical pharmacy specialists in hospitals has begun in recent years. The aim of this study is to explore the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of pharmacy students regarding pharmaceutical care, in order to better understand their preparedness and role in the evolving field of pharmacy practice. A cross-sectional, web-based survey was conducted using a self-structured questionnaire with 27 items in five sections: [1] sociodemographic characteristics [2], knowledge of clinical pharmacy concepts [3], awareness and attitudes toward services [4], attitudes toward roles and competencies and [5] behavioral intentions regarding education and career. The required sample size was 257, and 441 students from 32 faculties participated. Descriptive statistics were applied. Of participants, 76% were female and 65.2% aged 22–25 years; 47.4% were fourth-year students. Although 40.7% had not received formal education in clinical pharmacy, 88% were familiar with the concept. Overall, 97% recognized at least one clinical pharmacy-related concept, most often medication therapy management, medication adherence, and therapeutic drug monitoring. More than 70% agreed with all role-related items, with the highest agreement that clinical pharmacists improve patients’ quality of life (90.2%). Regarding career intentions, 53.1% planned internships, 56% intended to work in multidisciplinary teams, and 41% aimed to take the national specialty examination. Turkish pharmacy students demonstrated high awareness and positive attitudes toward clinical pharmacy, despite limited formal and practical education. Strengthening curricula with structured placements and experiential learning, while supporting career aspirations, will be crucial to preparing a workforce capable of advancing clinical pharmacy services. Beyond the Turkish context, these findings also provide guidance for developing clinical pharmacy education in other low- and middle-income countries, contributing to global discussions on health professions education.