Canadians Rate Doctors and Pharmacists Highest

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Poll finds two health professions rate highest on honesty and ethics

According to a new Nanos Research poll, Canadians rate physicians and pharmacists highest among 18 professions, when it comes to honesty and ethics. Seventy-seven percent of respondents call medical doctors' standards of honesty and ethics "high" or "very high", while the figure was 73 percent for community pharmacists.

Also among the top five professions whose honesty and ethics were rated as "high" or "very high", were high school teachers at 66 percent, police officers at 58 percent, and clergy at 50 percent.

"We are pleased with the results," said Dwight Ball, president of the Canadian Pharmacists Association's Board of Directors. "Pharmacists and physicians are both key members of a patient's health care team who collaborate to achieve better health outcomes for Canadians."

The poll asked respondents: Please tell me how you would rate the honesty and ethics of people in the following professions and Would you rate their honesty and ethics as very high, high, average, low or very low? The professions ranged from health professionals to business executives; lawyers; provincial legislators; public servants; car salespeople, and others.

"As health professionals advising patients on their personal health issues, nothing is more important to us than trust," said Jeff Poston, executive director of the Canadian Pharmacists Association. "We consult with patients on matters ranging from minor ailments to medication management in chronic diseases. It's vital that people feel they can talk to us in confidence, and trust in the advice they receive."

Survey methodology

The poll was conducted by Nanos Research. Results are based on a national random telephone survey of 1,003 adult Canadians, between August 28 and September 2, 2009. The statistics of a random sample of 1,003 respondents are accurate to within 3.1%, 19 times out of 20. For more information please visit the Nanos Research website at www.nanosresearch.com.

About the Canadian Pharmacists Association

The Canadian Pharmacists Association is the national organization of pharmacists, committed to providing leadership for the profession and improving the health of Canadians.