Toward Intrapreneurship in Pharmacy Education

Design and Assessment of Telepharmacy and Telehealth Training in Two Pharmacy Programs

Objective. To develop and assess the impact of a learning module through the evaluation of students' knowledge of, perceptions of, and intent to provide telepharmacy and telehealth services.Methods. Second- and third-year students from two schools of pharmacy completed a telepharmacy and telehealth learning module and discussion questions. A postsurvey measured their knowledge, perceptions of, and intent to provide remote services.Results. Students scored an average of 94.8% on a post-knowledge assessment. The theory of planned behavior was used to develop a survey measuring intent to provide remote services. Mean scores (1=strongly disagree to 4=strongly agree) were attitude (mean=3.18, SD=0.36), subjective norm (mean=3.02, SD=0.43), behavioral control (mean=2.67, SD=0.41), and intent (mean=2.63, SD=0.59). Thematic analysis of discussion question responses found that students felt the delivery and quality of care was similar between in-person and remote care. Students felt that differences with face-to-face care included technology use and troubleshooting, perceived difficulty in building relationships, and, finally, the inability to provide device training, medication show-and-tell, and physical examinations. They felt telehealth services would expand in the next five years due to increased access, convenience, and cost savings.Conclusion. Upon completion of a learning module, students were knowledgeable about telepharmacy and telehealth. Students agreed that remote services positively impact patient care and would be well received by patients and providers. Students had lower intent to offer remote services upon graduation; thus, simulations and service management information should be added to curricula to prepare students for and develop student interest in telepharmacy and telehealth.

Determining the Entrepreneurial and Intrapreneurial Intentions of Student Pharmacists in Iran

Objective. To identify factors and entrepreneurial characteristics associated with entrepreneurial and intrapreneurial intentions among Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) students in Iran.Methods. First, the Entrepreneurial-Intrapreneurial Pharmacist Questionnaire (EIPQ), which was developed in the United States, was translated from English to Persian. The paper-based Persian-EIPQ questionnaire was then tested in a convenience sample of student pharmacists enrolled in pharmacy schools in Iran. The entrepreneurial characteristics questionnaire was evaluated using exploratory factor analysis with varimax rotation. Internal consistency was examined using Cronbach alpha. The association of demographics and educational variables and entrepreneurial characteristics with entrepreneurial and intrapreneurial intentions was determined using a multiple linear regression model.Results. A total of 504 surveys, 98.6% of the completed questionnaires received, were analyzed. A majority of the participants were female (75.8%) and from 18 to 25 years old (92.2%). Entrepreneurial intention had a positive and significant association with risk-taking propensity, leadership self-efficacy, autonomy, achievement motivation, and having an entrepreneur in the family. Intrapreneurial intention had a positive and significant association with risk-taking propensity, leadership self-efficacy, achievement motivation, people liking, attending a private school, and having an entrepreneur in the family.Conclusion. Based on the findings, student pharmacists with higher levels of risk-taking propensity, achievement motivation, leadership self-efficacy, autonomy, and people liking may be more likely to have greater levels of entrepreneurial and/or intrapreneurial intention.

Exploration of the entrepreneurial orientation and trait emotional intelligence in practicing pharmacists

OBJECTIVES

The objectives of this study were 3-fold: to determine if there are differences in the level of entrepreneurial orientation (EO) of pharmacists in 5 upper Midwestern states; to determine if the EO of the pharmacists differs with age, sex, employment status, practice setting, or practice role; and to determine if there is a positive assocation between trait emotional intelligence (EI) and EO.

DESIGN

Item analysis, descriptive statistics, 1-way analysis of variance, Tukey test, Levene test of homogeneity of variances, Kruskal-Wallis tests, Pearson correlation coefficients, and an independent samples t test were used to analyze survey data.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

Pharmacists in upper Midwest states.

OUTCOME MEASURES

EO and trait EI of pharmacists.

RESULTS

Pharmacists practicing in different settings exhibited no differences in EO; however, statistically significant differences were found in the EO of pharmacists by sex, age, and practice role. Pharmacists who owned a pharmacy had higher mean EOs for the constructs risk-taking, innovativeness, proactiveness, and autonomy. A positive correlation was found between global trait EI and all constructs of EO, suggesting that global trait EI could be used to predict EO in individuals.

CONCLUSION

It was identified that EO can be measured at the individual level. A high EO suggests that a person may have a higher interest or success with entrepreneurial activities. High levels of EO were found among pharmacists in the roles of owner or manager than those in the role of staff. A positive correlation was found between global trait EI and all constructs of EO, suggesting that global trait EI could be used to predict EO in individuals. Understanding EO at an individual level could be valuable to pharmacists who are interested in owning a pharmacy or in providing new patient services. A high trait EI could indicate greater entrepreneurial potential leading to greater career success.

Initial Validation of an Instrument for Measuring Entrepreneurial and Intrapreneurial Intentions in Student Pharmacists

Objective. To develop a questionnaire for measuring entrepreneurial and intrapreneurial intentions among student pharmacists and to identify characteristics and personality traits that are associated with these intentions. Methods. A 105-item survey instrument was developed and administered to all Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) students (incoming to third year) at a large public university. It consisted of nine scales pertaining to entrepreneurism including previously validated and some newly developed scales adapted for use among student pharmacists. Data analysis consisted of factor analysis to determine scale constructs, reliability assessment, and systematic item-reduction analysis. Multiple linear regression and structural equation modeling was used to determine and confirm the association of personality traits and demographic characteristics with entrepreneurial and intrapreneurial intentions. Results. Of 289 students surveyed, 286 useable survey instruments were included in the analysis. Factor analysis was conducted for each scale, and items that did not load on their theorized factor or had cross-loadings above the permissible limits were removed, reducing the survey to 69 items. Findings demonstrated that gender, joint degree program, and autonomy were significant predictors of entrepreneurial intentions, and achievement motivation, leadership self-efficacy, and problem-solving were significant predictors of intrapreneurial intentions. Conclusion. A multi-dimensional questionnaire to measure entrepreneurial and intrapreneurial intentions of student pharmacists was developed and a few key predictors of such intentions were identified. When fully validated, the questionnaire may be used in pharmacy schools for several purposes, including in the PharmD admission process to gain additional insights into a student's potential to become a future innovative entrepreneurial or intrapreneurial practitioner.

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

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 real-world, 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.

Training and retaining community pharmacy leaders: Career pathways after completing a PGY1 community pharmacy residency affiliated with a large supermarket chain

OBJECTIVE

To determine pharmacist career paths and resident perceptions after completion of a PGY1 community pharmacy residency with a national supermarket pharmacy chain.

METHODS

Cross-sectional nationwide survey.

RESULTS

Overall, 65% (n = 24) of residents who responded accepted a position with Kroger immediately after graduation. When asked about the degree of value the residency had on obtaining the resident's ideal position, 29 (76%) reported that it was "very valuable" and the remaining 9 (24%) reported that it was "somewhat valuable." Positions that these pharmacists held immediately after residency completion were: clinical pharmacist (clinical coordinators, patient care specialists, or patient care managers; 54%), staff pharmacist (21%), split/mixed (mixed clinical and staffing components; 21%), and pharmacy manager (4%).

CONCLUSION

Residency trained pharmacists were retained by the pharmacy chain where they practiced, and the majority of those pharmacists held split or full-time clinical pharmacist roles within the chain supermarket pharmacy.