Administrative Staff Support as a Key to Department Success

Abstract

The Director's Forum series is edited by Robert J. Weber and Scott M. Mark and is designed to guide pharmacy leaders in establishing patient-centered services in hospitals and health systems. This article focuses on an important group of individuals – administrative office support personnel. These “unsung heroes” serve a valuable role in promoting the pharmacy department, organizing and managing key projects, and supporting the patient-centered approach of the pharmacy. This article will also show that department administrative staff members are not “secretaries” but are trained professionals who employ specific skills to make the pharmacy department successful. In fact, if developed and used effectively, administrative staff are a key to a department's pharmacy practice model. An understanding of how administrative support staff can be used effectively can maximize their benefit for both patients and the pharmacy department.