Strategic Planning by Institutional Pharmacy Administrators

The extent and quality of strategic planning by institutional pharmacy directors was assessed. Also examined were factors that may explain directors' level of utilization of the strategic planning process. A mail questionnaire on strategic planning yielded 306 usable surveys (61.4% response rate). The majority of institutional pharmacy directors reported utilizing strategic planning. The quality of strategic planning reported by pharmacy directors was average. However, directors who indicated that they conduct strategic planning reported a high level of strategic planning. Directors who conducted strategic planning (either partially or completely) had significantly higher rated time available for, knowledge of, and importance of strategic planning; significantly higher rated perceptions of the extent strategic planning resulted in selected benefits; and simcantly higher rated pharmacy performance for administrative, distributive, and clinical services than those who did not conduct strategic planning for the department. Additionally, directors who completely utilized the strategic planning process had significantly higher rated time available for, knowledge of, and importance of strategic planning; significantly higher rated perceptions of the extent to which strategic planning resulted in selected benefits; and significantly higher rated pharmacy performance for administrative and distributive services than those who partially utilized the strategic planning process for the department.