Charles E Aigbona1 
,
Anthony W Udezi2,
Sylvester O Eraga3
For correspondence:- Charles Aigbona Email: charles.aigbona@iwfionline.org Tel:08033867663
Received: 6 February 2026 Accepted: 18 April 2026 Published: 30 April 2026
Citation: Aigbona CE, Udezi AW, Eraga SO. Impact of work-life conflict on the well-being and career aspirations of Gen-Z community pharmacists: An interpretivist study. Trop J Pharm Res 2026; 25(4):509-517 doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/tjpr.v25i4.8
© 2026 The authors.
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Purpose: To determine the effect of work-life conflict (WLC) on the career paths and general well-being of Generation Z (Gen Z) community pharmacists in Lagos, Nigeria. Methods: A total of 54 Gen Z community pharmacists in Lagos, ages 22 to 28, participated in semi structured interviews using an interpretivist qualitative design. The Conservation of Resources (COR) and Boundary theories served as a guide for the inductive thematic analysis of data gathered between August 2024 and February 2025. Results: The results show that structural WLC is caused by strong commercial sales targets, understaffing, and 12 – 14-hour shifts. Urban "multipliers," particularly crippling traffic and exorbitant living expenses, exacerbate these stressors in Lagos. Emotional burnout and visceral physical tiredness were the outcomes of chronic resource depletion. In order to recover professional autonomy and work life balance, the majority of participants want overseas migration ("Japa") or pharmacy ownership. As a result, career aspirations have undergone a significant transformation. Conclusion: Early-career pharmacists' career aspirations are redirected toward migration or entrepreneurship by WLC, which seriously compromises their well-being. To reduce talent attrition and protect the standard of pharmaceutical care in Nigeria, systemic interventions such as required staffing ratios, wage recalibration to reflect the "T-pain"1 economy, and infrastructure support are essential.
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