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APOM-project: a first study of pharmacy organization and management
M P Mobach1, J J van der Werf, F J Tromp
1Faculty of Management and Organization, University of Groningen, The Netherlands.
Pharmacy World & Science : PWS
|November 20, 1998
Summary
This pilot study explored pharmacy organization and management in the Netherlands. Pharmacy managers' actions often diverged from their thoughts, focusing more on process and customer than product.
Area of Science:
- Pharmacy administration
- Healthcare management
- Organizational studies
Background:
- The Pharmacy, Organization and Management (APOM) project initiated in 1994 in the Netherlands.
- Focuses on the structuring and steering of pharmacy organization.
- This article presents the theoretical framework and pilot study findings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To select appropriate methods for a larger survey.
- To investigate the alignment between pharmacy managers' thoughts and actions.
- To compare theoretical pharmacy objective mixes with empirical findings.
Main Methods:
- A pilot study involving 24 pharmacies.
- Theoretical postulation of three objective mixes: product, process, and customer.
- Selection of two survey methods for future research.
Main Results:
- Thought and action alignment was low among most pharmacy managers.
- Managerial thought predominantly focused on customer and product aspects.
- Managerial action primarily emphasized process and customer elements.
Conclusions:
- Significant discrepancies exist between pharmacy managers' conceptualization and operational practices.
- The pilot study successfully identified suitable methodologies for future research.
- Findings suggest a need to re-evaluate organizational strategies in Dutch pharmacies.