American journal of hospital pharmacy
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Perceptions of pharmacists' roles held by health professional students and faculty were evaluated by a projective cartoon technique. Cartoons of a pharmacist, a pharmacist and a physician, and a pharmacist and a nurse, all at a patient's bedside, were used as the survey instruments. From the dialogue provided by respondents in the cartoon conversational balloons, perceptions of the type of interaction, relationship between the figures, and pharmacists' role activities were determined. ⋯ Pharmacy and medical respondents perceived clinical roles for the pharmacist. In response to the pharmacist-nurse cartoon, traditional roles were illustrated for the pharmacists, and subordinate-authoritative relationships were seen in the interactions between pharmacists and nurses. The cartoon technique appeared to be useful in determining role perceptions.