A multi-regional survey of empathy and its associated factors among community pharmacists within a national pharmacy network in Japan.

We evaluated empathy among community pharmacists in Japan in a multi-regional cross-sectional survey conducted within a national pharmacy network using the Japanese version of the Jefferson Scale of Empathy (JSE). An online questionnaire was distributed to community pharmacists affiliated with the network between April 1 and May 24, 2025. Of the 2093 pharmacists invited, 1202 were included in the analyses. The mean participant age was 40.0 years, and the mean duration of professional experience was 13.6 years. The mean total JSE score was 101.2. In the multiple linear regression analysis, experience providing patient education in hospital settings during external training programs (β = 1.168; p = 0.022), participation in social contribution activities (β = 1.332; p = 0.003), pharmacists in regional managerial positions or higher (β = 1.960; p = 0.013), and female sex (β = 0.772; p = 0.044) were independently associated with JSE scores. However, age, family composition, years of experience, educational background, home-care pharmacy experience, and pharmacy setting were not significantly associated. These findings suggest that certain professional and community engagement experiences may be associated with modest differences in empathy scores among community pharmacists. However, the magnitude of these associations was small and the overall explanatory power of the model was limited. Further longitudinal and multi-setting studies are needed to confirm these findings and clarify the mechanisms underlying these associations.