Assessment of pharmacy professionals’ workplace satisfaction in a conflict-affected health system: evidence from Yemen

Job satisfaction among pharmacy professionals is a key determinant of workforce retention and quality of pharmaceutical care. Yemen represents an extreme case in which prolonged conflict, economic collapse, and fragmented health governance may fundamentally reshape the professional–organisational relationship. A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted among pharmacy professionals in Yemen using a self-administered electronic questionnaire. Job satisfaction was assessed across five domains: Management and organisational support, Work environment, Inter-professional relationships, Compensation and rewards, and Professional satisfaction. Non-parametric statistical tests and Spearman correlation analyses were applied. A total of 106 pharmacy professionals participated in the study. Overall job satisfaction was moderate (median 3.33, IQR 2.84–3.84). Professional satisfaction was the highest-rated domain with median and IQR 3.83(3.04–4.17), with 68.9% of pharmacists reporting pride in their work and 63.2% indicating they would choose the profession again. Inter-professional relationships ranked second with median and IQR of 3.57(3.14–4.14), with 79.3% reporting strong collegial respect. In contrast, Compensation and rewards constituted a critical source of dissatisfaction, with only 16.0% of respondents perceiving their salary as fair. Years of professional experience was significantly associated with overall satisfaction (p = 0.01), with more experienced pharmacists reporting lower satisfaction. All satisfaction domains were positively correlated, with the strongest association observed between Work environment and Management and organisational support (ρ = 0.720). This study suggests that pharmacy professionals in Yemen maintain strong professional commitment and positive inter-professional relationships despite substantial dissatisfaction with compensation and other extrinsic employment conditions. The observed inverse association between professional experience and job satisfaction may indicate changing professional expectations among more experienced pharmacists, although the underlying mechanisms require further investigation. These findings contribute to the limited evidence on pharmacy workforce satisfaction in conflict-affected settings and may inform context-sensitive workforce policies in fragile and resource-constrained health systems.