Perceived importance and self-assessment of the skills of Canada's health-system pharmacy managers

The relationship between the perceived importance of managerial skills and self-assessed proficiency in each skill among health-system pharmacy managers in Canada was examined, and the demographic characteristics associated with pharmacy managers who lack these skills were analyzed. Surveys were mailed to 514 healthsystem pharmacy managers in Canada in July 2000. The survey listed 61 specific managerial skills, under seven general categories. The respondents were asked to rate the level of importance that each of the skills had in their job and rate their proficiency in each skill. Ratings were based on a five-point Likert scale ranging from very high importance or skill level to very low importance or skill level. The response rate was 52.7%. Of the 61 specific managerial skills considered, the majority of respondents identified "Demonstrating ethical conduct" as both the most important skill and their greatest strength. "Understand the operating principles of managed care" was viewed as the least important skill, while "Participating in the implementation of a marketing program" was respondents' greatest weakness. There were significant differences in the mean self-assessed skill levels of the respondents according to their educational background, size of the institution in which they work, and years of managerial experience. Health-system pharmacy managers with a master of business administration degree had a significantly higher overall mean perceived skill level than managers in all other "Education" categories. Managers with a bachelor of science degree in pharmacy had a significantly lower overall mean perceived skill level than those with a bachelor of science degree in pharmacy plus "other" degrees, while managers employed in institutions of 500 or more inpatient beds had a significantly higher overall selfrated mean skill level than managers employed in institutions of 51-100 inpatient beds. A national survey of health-system pharmacy managers in Canada revealed a pressing need for better training in managerial skills for these pharmacists.