A Comparison of Approaches to Student Pharmacist Business Planning in Pharmacy Practice Management

作者:Gatwood Justin*; Hohmeier Kenneth; Farr Glen; Eckel Stephen
来源:American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 2018, 82(5): 401-409.
DOI:10.5688/ajpe6279

摘要

Objective. To compare second-year student pharmacists' perspectives on two approaches for completing a pharmacy practice management business planning project.
Methods. A mixed-methods approach was used to compare two options (traditional and experimental) for completing business plan projects that were offered to teams of second-year student pharmacists as part of a required pharmacy management course. Teams who chose the traditional project were required to develop a unique, pharmacy-related business plan while those who chose the experimental concept were paired with a pharmacy-focused firm within Tennessee and tasked with designing a potential service for the firm's consideration. At semester's end, all students were asked to complete a brief survey to provide insight on their experiences with either of the group projects. Students and firm stakeholders were also asked to participate in a group and individual interview, respectively.
Results. Student group comparisons indicated that the experimental project provided a more realworld, business planning experience. Additionally, groups that did the experimental project were more likely to report seeing how business and pharmacy practice were connected, indicate a better understanding of the principles of pharmacy management, and be perceived as more marketable for a future pharmacy career. Firm representatives indicated that insight provided by the students was valuable and that they had plans to implement what was proposed.
Conclusion. Connecting student pharmacists with a pharmacy-focused firm provided a real-world management experience that better complemented the course's principles, and created a mutually beneficial innovation-focused partnership.

  • 出版日期2018