The Voice of Canada’s Front-line Pharmacists: CSHP Survey of Non-management Pharmacists

Abstract

For any profession, competent, committed leadership represents the difference between progress and extinction. Hospital pharmacy is no different. An editorial and a CSHP position statement on nonpharmacists in pharmacy leadership positions focused attention on a professional background in pharmacy as a prerequisite for senior managers in hospital pharmacy. However, being a pharmacist is far from the only necessary qualification. With an analysis based on the supplemental standard and learning objectives for residency training in pharmacy practice management of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, a pair of related articles considered the relative importance and self-evaluated skill level of current pharmacy managers. In addition, a survey of hospital pharmacy managers in Canada evaluated the contribution of various training programs in preparing hospital pharmacy managers for this role and provided demographic insight into the nature of hospital pharmacy management positions and their incumbents in Canada. Together, these studies created a useful framework for the identification and preparation of excellent hospital pharmacy managers, but there appears to be a shortage of one key ingredient: a pool of hospital pharmacist candidates interested in pursuing these management positions. The survey of Canadian hospital pharmacy managers identified the positive aspects of their role, in the hopes that this knowledge would help in promoting these positions. This information has been used extensively in the subsequent preparation of action plans, education sessions, and promotional material. However, the survey analysis was barely complete when an intrinsic bias in the survey itself was identified: only pharmacists in management positions had been included. Another limitation of the survey was the potential difference in the values held by those in management positions and the pharmacists most likely to replace them. A crude analysis comparing the demographic characteristics of hospital phar macy managers and staff pharmacists confirmed differences in the age and gender mix of these groups, but more specific information about the pharmacists who will be managers in the future is essential to developing an effective plan. The CSHP Hospital Pharmacy Management Task Force recognized this gap in understanding and recommended another survey, focusing on non-managers, to determine their demographic characteristics, interests, perceptions, and concerns about taking on formal management positions. This article describes the survey that we undertook in response to the task force recommendation and the interpretation of its results. The ultimate goal is to ensure that effective hospital pharmacy management continues into the future.