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Value added to health by pharmacists
1Social and Administrative Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis 55455, USA. stoi0005@gold.tc.umn.edu
Social Science & Medicine (1982)
|March 18, 1999
Summary
The pharmacy profession provides significant value to healthcare institutions and professionals, primarily through cost containment and service provision. This study outlines a method to identify and document the value pharmacy adds to various stakeholders.
Area of Science:
- Pharmacy Practice
- Health Services Research
Background:
- The value of the pharmacy profession is not always clearly defined or communicated to other healthcare professionals.
- A structured approach is needed to understand and articulate the contributions of pharmacy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify the recipients of value provided by the pharmacy profession.
- To analyze how this value is described and documented.
- To present a methodology for reviewing and understanding pharmacy's value.
Main Methods:
- Developed a methodology based on definitions of 'value' and 'values'.
- Utilized three ranking terms (benefit, demand, satisfaction) and three 'whom-value-serves' labels (individual, institution, society).
- Analyzed 86 articles from 1984-1995 using the Matrix Method.
Main Results:
- The 'institution' label was most prominent, indicating value to organizations.
- Pharmacy value was described in terms of cost containment, service provision, and quality of care.
- The 'society' label received less emphasis, while 'individual' value focused on patients and pharmacists.
Conclusions:
- The pharmacy profession demonstrably adds value to hospital/retail organizations and itself.
- The developed conceptual framework and methodology can inform healthcare professionals about pharmacy's contributions.