Abstract
Background: The pharmacy workforce in Vietnam is rapidly evolving, but little is known about how gender and socioeconomic factors shape career intentions and sector preferences of students. Understanding these determinants is essential for healthcare workforce planning. Objective: To investigate how gender and socioeconomic determinants influence intention of pharmacy students to pursue a career and their preferred sector in Vietnam. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 462 students from 2nd to 5th year at a Vietnamese university. Demographic data, socioeconomic background, and career intentions were analyzed using chi-squared tests, multinomial logistic regression, and binary logistic regression. Results: Of 462 respondents, 71.9% intended to pursue a pharmacy career, 2.6% reported no, while 25.5% were unsure. Gender differences were evident but did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.083). Female students were more likely to choose clinical, hospital pharmacy or regulation, whereas male students showed higher preference for community, industry and academia. Binary logistic regression revealed that urban origin (OR = 1.34, 95% CI = 1.01–1.78, p = 0.041) and family encouragement (OR = 2.53, 95% CI = 1.60–3.99, p < 0.001) significantly predicted career intention, while gender and income were non-significant. Conclusions: Family encouragement and urban upbringing influence pharmacy career pursuit, while gender may shape sectoral preferences. Policies should address gender equity and enhance support for students from rural or disadvantaged backgrounds.