Willingness to pay for extended community pharmacy services among general public in the United Arab Emirates

The study examined individuals’ willingness to pay for extended community pharmacy services (ECPS) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Data was collected from all seven emirates in the UAE through an online descriptive cross-sectional survey which was conducted in March and May 2021. A stratified random sample of 406 respondents participated, 71.43% were females and 28.57% males from different socioeconomic backgrounds. While SPSS was used to analyze respondents’ feedback, descriptive statistics were utilized to examine the sample’s sociodemographic features, views and readiness to pay for services. Using regression analysis, the researcher determined the link between consumers’ sociodemographic attributes and their perceptions of pharmacies and pharmacists and their willingness to pay for extended community services. The findings show that individuals purchase prescription drugs (68.97%), while others buy pharmaceutical products (59.36%) and non-prescription medications (54.43%). Proximity to pharmacies (82.51%) is the main factor influencing people’s choices. Most individuals in the UAE are confident that pharmacists have sufficient knowledge of medications and are concerned about public well-being (55.17%). Willingness to pay extended community services depends on pharmacists’ professionalism and honesty (77.83%), expertise on medication and illnesses (79.06%), and communication skills (57.39%).