Strategizing the removal of barriers to community pharmacist's business management capabilities

Abstract

The community pharmacist may be challenged by their dual role of being both a health care provider and practice manager. This commentary proposes strategies to address the barriers to the management role of the community pharmacist in practice as perceived by stakeholders: pharmacist owners, pharmacist managers, pharmacists, and pharmacy students. Whilst some community pharmacist owners may believe managerial skills are not required for the profession, all stakeholders for the most part agree on the barriers to the management role of the community pharmacist in practice and the strategies to address these barriers. Three barriers were identified: business versus professional dichotomy, transitioning theoretical learned content into a practice setting, and professional overload. Three strategies are proposed to overcome these barriers: developing a dual thinking process, learning practice management from mentors, and the philosophy of becoming a leader and the team builder. A paradigm shift within the current culture in the profession may be required to overcome the barriers. This commentary also highlights the need to explore leadership in community pharmacy.