Assessing the self-development potential of a pharmacy management practitioner through self-assessment survey.

PURPOSE: The self-development potential of pharmacy management practitioners related to self-management, team development, and network management was assessed. METHODS: A survey instrument consisting of 12 self-assessment questions and 11 questions about demographics was distributed to pharmacy management practitioners to assess their abilities to manage themselves, their teams, and their networks. The tool was distributed by e-mail hyperlink to 190 potential respondents. Only surveys from respondents who had a pharmacy degree and direct supervisory capacity were analyzed. Respondents rated their progress toward meeting the three imperatives on a scale of 1-5. Responses to the questions were analyzed as ordinal data, with median responses used for assessment. RESULTS: A total of 160 responses were received via e-mail, 149 (93%) of which met the inclusion criteria. About half of all respondents were practicing at institutions of 600 beds or more and supervised at least five employees. The majority of respondents identified their abilities to manage themselves, their teams, and their networks as areas of strength but also acknowledged that using all three of these skills on a daily basis was an area of opportunity. Respondents generally identified management of their network as an area needing work. CONCLUSION: The majority of survey respondents identified their skills in self-, team, and network management as areas of strength. Respondents generally identified management of their network as an area needing work. Respondents also identified the use of all three imperatives on a daily basis as an area of opportunity for improvement.

Advancing the pharmacy practice model in a community teaching hospital by expanding student rotations.

PURPOSE: The implementation, benefits, and outcomes of a layered learner model (LLM) using pharmacy students as pharmacist extenders are described. SUMMARY: In 2011, Cleveland Clinic Florida (CCF) implemented a pharmacy practice model change with the goal of providing all inpatients quality pharmaceutical care while still providing key specialty clinical pharmacy services. An LLM was initiated in which pharmacists supervise pharmacy residents and students in a team format in which students are used as pharmacist extenders. CCF partnered with local and regional colleges of pharmacy to increase the number of advanced pharmacy practice experience student rotations at CCF. Students are given accountability for a specific number of patient beds based on their rotation. They are required to perform medication histories, education on drug indication and adverse effects, discharge counseling, targeted disease counseling, and profile review for drug-related problems for their patients. After the implementation of this model, improvements were observed in Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) scores (58% versus 70%, respectively), pharmacy interventions per patient per day (0.9 versus 1.4, respectively), and bedside medication delivery capture rate (48% versus 65%, respectively). CONCLUSION: The implementation of an LLM and partnering with local colleges of pharmacy have improved pharmacy practice at CCF by allowing pharmacy students to work as pharmacist extenders in providing comprehensive pharmacy services to many patients who would not otherwise be reached. This approach has improved HCAHPS scores within the "communication of medication" domain, increased overall patient interventions, and allowed expansion of CCF's discharge prescription program.