Drivers of Migration Readiness Among Romanian Pharmacy Students: An Extended Push–Pull–Mooring Model

Background/Objectives: The potential migration of future pharmacists can affect healthcare systems’ ability to maintain a sufficient, stable, and adequately distributed workforce, with implications for the continuity of pharmaceutical services and the safe use of medicines. This study examines Migration Readiness (MR) among pharmacy students in Romania as a candidate aggregate indicator of future workforce-retention vulnerability and identifies the associated professional, economic, social, and structural factors. Methods: A quantitative, cross-sectional, and observational design was employed, based on 520 valid questionnaires. An extended Push–Pull–Mooring model was developed and tested, incorporating internal professional pressures (PUSH), professional prospects in Romania (DPO), the professional-economic appeal of external opportunities (PEP), the appeal associated with quality of life (QLP), personal and social barriers (PB), structural barriers (SB), and Migration Readiness (MR). The model was estimated using PLS-SEM in SmartPLS 4. The significance of relationships was assessed via bootstrapping with 10,000 subsamples, while predictive performance was evaluated using PLSpredict and CVPAT. Results: The model explains 39.2% of the variance in MR and demonstrates a good approximate fit (estimated SRMR = 0.038). PUSH is negatively associated with DPO (β = −0.387) and positively associated with PEP (β = 0.413) and QLP (β = 0.173). PEP is strongly associated with QLP (β = 0.523), while PEP and QLP are positively associated with MR (β = 0.272 and β = 0.221, respectively). DPO, PB and SB are negatively associated with MR (β = −0.128, β = −0.187 and β = −0.175, respectively). Significant specific indirect associations indicate that part of the association between professional pressures and MR operates through the assessment of domestic career prospects and external opportunities. Conclusions: Pharmacy students’ migration readiness reflects a multidimensional process in which internal professional conditions, the attractiveness of external opportunities, and mobility barriers act simultaneously. At an aggregate level, MR may represent a candidate perceptual indicator of future workforce-retention vulnerability; however, longitudinal validation against actual post-graduation employment and migration outcomes is required before operational workforce use. The results suggest that pharmaceutical workforce planning should combine measures addressing career prospects, working conditions, professional development, and quality of life, rather than focusing solely on remuneration.