Jason Perepelkin

Public Opinion of Pharmacists and Pharmacist Prescribing

Background: Pharmacists generally enjoy a high ranking when members of the general public are asked to rate the most trusted professions. While it is a good thing that the pharmacy profession appears to be trustworthy, it is not clear whether the public fully appreciates what pharmacists can do. Methods: A telephone survey in the province of Saskatchewan was conducted between February 25 and March 2, 2010. The questionnaire consisted of 43 items. Results: A total of 1283 people were contacted; 403 (31.4%) agreed to participate. A majority of respondents were female (253, 62.8%). Two-thirds (262, 65%) felt they were a “customer” when visiting a pharmacy; only 14.9% (60) felt they were a “patient.” There was some limited support for an expanded role for pharmacists. Conclusions: Gender appears to play a role in public perceptions of pharmacists; women tended to have a more favourable view of the profession than men. Lower education and income level were associated with a more positive view of pharmacists. This study adds to our understanding of the public perceptions of pharmacists and the potential for increased scope of practice. Respondents in this study, as in similar studies, generally had a positive view of the pharmacy profession, but there is still some variation, perhaps showing that an inconsistent message is being communicated to the general public about the role of pharmacists.

Brand personality and customer trust in community pharmacies

Purpose – The community pharmacy industry is an increasingly competitive sector, where independent pharmacies must compete with national and multinational chains for market share. Each pharmacy seeks to differentiate and earn customer trust. The purpose of this paper is to seek to better understand the effectiveness of differentiating via developing a unique corporate brand personality in the pursuit of customer trust.Design/methodology/approach – A survey was conducted in a small city in Western Canada. Patients who have recently filled a prescription were asked to assess their perceptions about the brand personality of the pharmacy they last visited, and evaluate how much they trust the pharmacy. Data were analyzed using SPSS and structural equation modeling (SEM).Findings – The results indicated that significant brand personality differences exist among various types of pharmacies. Customers rated independent pharmacies slightly more trustworthy than multinational mass merchandise and national chain ph...

Pharmacy ownership in Canada: implications for the authority and autonomy of community pharmacy managers.

BACKGROUND In recent years, the number of independently owned pharmacies has declined even as the total number of pharmacies in Canada has increased. With increasing corporate ownership, there is concern that this trend will adversely affect the professions ability to influence pharmacy practice and practice change. OBJECTIVE To examine the relationship between ownership type and community pharmacy managers in terms of professional and employer authority, managerial autonomy, decision making, and amount of control. METHODS This study consisted of a cross-sectional survey of community pharmacy managers in Canada by means of a self-administered postal questionnaire sent to a stratified sample of community pharmacies. Statistical analysis consisted of exploratory factor analysis with reliability testing on identified constructs. Frequencies, 1-way analyses of variance, Scheffe post hoc tests, and general linear modeling were used to determine significant differences among groups based on ownership type. RESULTS In total, 646 of 1961 questionnaires from pharmacy managers were completed and returned (response rate 32.9%). Respondents rated their authority similarly across ownership types. Autonomy, decision-making capabilities, and control needed to carry out the professional role appear most limited among corporate respondents and, to a lesser extent, franchise managers. CONCLUSIONS Pharmacy managers currently perceive a high level of authority; but with limited autonomy among corporate managers, it is unclear whether this authority is sufficient to prevent the subordination of both patient and professional interests to financial interests.

Redesign of a required undergraduate pharmacy management course to improve student engagement and concept retention.

Objective. To change the structure of a required pharmacy management course to make it more interactive and engaging for students. Design. The course is a required component of undergraduate curriculum and is completed over 2 semesters during the students’ third year. Changes included requiring students to lead classroom discussions and complete a business plan in groups. Assessment. A questionnaire centering on methods of delivery, course content, and outcomes was distributed in 2 academic years, with 74.7% of students responding. Even though the redesigned course required more time, there was strong support for the course among students because they realized the content contributed to their learning. Conclusion. A major course redesign is a big commitment by faculty members, but if done through consultations with former and current students, it can be rewarding for all involved. Students overwhelmingly embraced the changes to the course as they realized the restructuring and the resulting increase in workload were necessary to raise the relevance of the course to their future professional practice.

Influence of ownership type on role orientation, role affinity, and role conflict among community pharmacy managers and owners in Canada

BACKGROUND Ownership of community pharmacies is increasingly being controlled by a relatively small number of corporate entities. The influence of this ownership type should not be ignored, because ownership has the ability to impact pharmacy practice. OBJECTIVES To examine the relationship between ownership type and community pharmacy managers with regard to role orientation, role affinity, and role conflict. METHODS This study consisted of a cross-sectional survey of community pharmacy managers in Canada by means of a self-administered postal questionnaire sent to a stratified sample of community pharmacies. Statistical analysis consisted of exploratory factor analysis with reliability testing on identified constructs. Frequencies, 1-way analyses of variance, and Scheffe post hoc tests were used to determine significant differences among groups, including ownership structure, on each of the constructs. RESULTS A total of 646 completed questionnaires were received (32.9% response rate). Most of the respondents were males (60.8%), with slightly less than half of the respondents identifying their practice type as an independent pharmacy (44.6%). There were 5 multi-item scale constructs (professional orientation, business orientation, professional affinity, business affinity, and role conflict) arising from the data, which were analyzed against the pharmacy ownership structure (independent, franchise, corporate) independent variable. Analysis revealed significant differences for 3 of the 5 constructs; however, no differences were seen regarding the 2 professionally focused constructs. CONCLUSIONS Community pharmacy managers/owners are generally oriented to their professional role; however, those working in a corporate pharmacy environment are less oriented to their business role when compared with those working in an independent or franchise pharmacy environment. Further research is needed to identify different practice cultures that may exist in various practice settings and the extent to which these cultures attract or define the managers working in them.

Interprofessional and intraprofessional teams in a standardized patient assessment lab

Purpose: To report on the relative quality of patient care plans produced by students working in interprofessional or intraprofessional teams, as well as student expectations and experiences working with the different collaborative models. Methods: Students from the health disciplines of pharmacy, nutrition and physical therapy were assigned to work in one of three team types: (a) pharmacy þ nutrition þ physical therapy; (b) pharmacy þ physical therapy; or (c) pharmacy-only. The 90 min assessment lab was conducted in a professional practice lab at the College of Pharmacy and Nutrition, University of Saskatchewan. A case study approach was used with trained patient-actors role-playing a hospitalized patient newly diagnosed with a vertebral compression fracture. Together, each student team interviewed a patient-actor and developed a comprehensive care plan. Results: Students exceeded their expectations with regard to their ability to participate in the patient interview process, develop the care plan, and communicate with the patient and other team members. The nutrition and physical therapy students exceeded their expectations more than the pharmacy students. No significant differences were found between team types as to recommendations made for calcium and vitamin D supplements, the use of a pharmacologic agent, or exercise. On average, interprofessional teams scored higher with recommendations made for pain management, patient education, patient follow-up, global assessment of the care plan, and total score obtained for the plan. Conclusions: Pharmacy students working in teams with other health disciplines produce more complete patient care plans than pharmacy-only teams. Assessment lab activities also appear to increase student support for interprofessional teams and appreciation for contributions made by other health care professions.

Advocacy in pharmacy: Changing “what is” into “what should be”

Pharmacists are moving from traditional and technical dispensing roles to professional and clinical patient-centred services. They have shown that these new professional services have an essential and positive effect on patient outcomes. However, we must advocate for and promote these new services to 4 key groups—pharmacists, other health care professionals, patients and the community—or what is the point? This advocacy must begin at the grassroots, with the individual pharmacist, rather than relying solely on our professional organizations. It begins with the pharmacist eliminating the mystery of “behind the counter.” Both verbal patient interaction tips and nonverbal strategic communication tools can be developed and used to aid in this venture. We invite all pharmacists across Canada to take ownership of their evolving profession and to share ideas and collaborate with their colleagues. ■

Quality alone is not enough to be trustworthy: The mediating role of sincerity perception

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to argue that quality alone is not enough; pharmacies need to develop a rapport with their customers and convey sincerity. Community (retail) pharmacy is an increasingly competitive industry. Service quality has been considered one of the key factors for pharmacies to differentiate and develop competitive advantage. The customers’ perception of the sincerity of the pharmacies mediates the relationship between quality and trust. Design/methodology/approach – Through consumer intercept, we collected survey data from 150 customers in a western Canadian city who had filled a prescription at the pharmacy in the previous six months. Data were analyzed using structure equation modeling. Findings – Our data revealed that while overall service quality has a positive influence on customer trust, perception of sincerity has a more immediate impact. The relationship between quality and trust was completely mediated through sincerity perception. Originality/value – Service quality ha...

A Qualitative Assessment of the Practice Experiences of Certified Diabetes Educator Pharmacists

OBJECTIVE To describe the practice experiences of Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE) pharmacists in Saskatchewan and determine what impact the CDE designation has had on their personal practices. METHODS A qualitative research approach was used. All pharmacists in Saskatchewan were e-mailed about the study, and eventually, a purposive sampling method was used to select a range of CDE pharmacists. Semistructured, in-person interviews were performed. An interview guide was developed to assess the work activities performed, the benefits of becoming a CDE and the challenges and resultant solutions that optimize their CDE designations. All interviews were transcribed verbatim and coded using deductive thematic analysis to identify the main themes that described the experiences of respondents, with the aid of QSR NVivo. RESULTS A total of 14 CDE pharmacists from various communities and work settings chose to participate. All of the participants indicated they were engaging in increased diabetes-related activities since becoming CDEs. All participants indicated they were happy with their decisions to become CDEs and described numerous benefits as a direct result of achieving this designation. Although some solutions were offered, participants still face challenges in optimizing their role as CDEs, such as devoting enough time to diabetes management and remuneration for providing diabetes services. CONCLUSIONS CDE pharmacists in Saskatchewan report performing enhanced diabetes-related activities subsequent to becoming CDEs and that obtaining this designation has had a positive impact on their personal practices. A larger, cross-country study is necessary to determine whether these results are consistent amongst all pharmacists in Canada.

How does ownership type influence the role orientation and professional autonomy of community pharmacy managers

9 5 As community pharmacists seek to redefine and expand their role in health care, the business structure in which the profession is practised is increasingly changing from small-scale entrepreneurship to corporate ownership. Among health professions, pharmacy is in a unique position — the large majority of community pharmacists practise their profession within an overtly commercial environment. On a daily basis the community pharmacist must balance professional and commercial responsibilities — providing a skilled service in the preparation and dispensing of medications while selling commodities for profit in distributing that medication.1 Within community pharmacies, pharmacy managers are intimately involved in both professional and business aspects of pharmacy practice. A business orientation and corresponding objectives that focus on maximizing shareholder value2 may not be in line with the professional objectives of pharmacy. As well, when pharmacists allow business objectives to influence their professional conduct — whether intended or not — commitment to the patient’s well-being can be compromised.3 While corporate, non-pharmacist ownership increases, opportunity to develop and introduce cognitive services, as well as participate in other professional activities with less reliable revenue potential, more in keeping with the professional ideal of pharmacy, may be limited.3-5 The purpose of this study is to increase our understanding of the challenges that exist for community pharmacy managers in Canada with regard to their dual role as professionals and businesspeople within various ownership structures. As well, how does ownership structure — independent, franchise, or corporate — relate to the role orientation and professional autonomy of community pharmacy managers?