Community Pharmacists’ Awareness, Attitudes, Readiness, and Perceived Barriers to Adopting 3D Printing Technology: A Cross-Sectional Study in the UAE

Three-dimensional (3D) printing offers new possibilities for producing personalized medicines within pharmacy practice. Given the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) status as a leader in healthcare innovation, understanding pharmacists’ perspectives in this region is important for anticipating the potential factors that may hinder or facilitate the adoption of this technology in community pharmacy practice. Data were gathered through a cross-sectional survey of 423 licensed pharmacists practicing in community pharmacies across the UAE who were recruited through a convenience sampling approach. Respondents filled out a validated survey instrument assessing their awareness, attitudes, readiness to adopt 3D printing technology, and perceived barriers to its implementation. Recruitment took place both online and in person. The findings revealed high levels of awareness, positive attitudes, and strong readiness among participants regarding the use of 3D printing technology. Regression analysis revealed that pharmacists with medium (OR: 2.661; 95% CI: 1.176–6.022; p<0.05) or high (OR: 5.4264; 95% CI: 2.517–11.009; p<0.001) levels of perceived workload were more likely to fall into the high-awareness group compared with those reporting low workload. Moreover, those who were in charge of or owned the pharmacy were more likely to exhibit high awareness toward 3D printing (OR: 3.037; 95% CI: 1.758–5.246; p<0.001). Conversely, longer working hours were linked to a decreased probability of being classified as having high attitudes (OR: 0.882; 95% CI: 0.832–0.935). Similarly, a moderate perceived workload increased the likelihood of high readiness toward 3D printing when compared with a perceived low workload (OR: 2.281; 95% CI: 1.117–4.661; p<0.05), while spending more time with patients was linked to lower readiness (OR: 0.399; 95% CI: 0.169–0.529; p<0.001). To conclude, pharmacists in the UAE demonstrated a strong inclination to integrate 3D printing technology into community pharmacy practice. However, barriers to adoption remain. Wider implementation is likely to require training, clear professional guidance, and practical strategies that address the concerns identified in this study.