Levels of Independent Community Pharmacy Strategic Planning

Abstract

Differences among independent community pharmacies that use the strategic planning process completely, partially, or not at all were assessed. Also examined were the possible factors that may explain respondents' level of utilization of the strategic planning process. A mail questionnaire on strategic planning yielded a total of 562 usable surveys (37.4% response rate). Respondents who completely utilized the strategic planning process had significantly higher rated time available for, knowledge of, and perceived importance of strategic planning than those respondents who used strategic planning partially and those who did not use it at all. Additionally, respondents who completely utilized the strategic planning process had significantly higher rated perceptions of the extent strategic planning resulted in selected benefits, as well as significantly higher rated pharmacy performance for clinical and dispensing services, non-pharmacy-related performance, and financial performance than respondents who used strategic planning partially or not at all. Finally, the significant differences detected between those independent community pharmacies that completely utilized strategic planning and those that partially utilized strategic planning provide additional support not only for the value of strategic planning in independent community pharmacies but also for the value of completely utilizing the strategic planning process.