Access to leadership and management training resources

Russell Hill, on behalf of the Specialty Practice Leadership and Management Leadership Committee

BPharm, PgGradDipPharm (Dist), GradDipBus, MBA (Dist), FPS | russell.hill@icon.team

• Results of the survey
• Suggestions for improving training
• Conclusion
• References

[Pharmacy GRIT article no: 20231390]

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SHPA’s Leadership and Management Leadership Committee has been considering hospital pharmacist access to, and support for, continuing professional development (CPD), in particular, access to leadership and management training programs. Anecdotal feedback indicated differing levels of access and support from healthcare organisations for leadership and management training. The Leadership and Management Leadership Committee holds the position that adequate support should be available to ensure that pharmacy leaders, as well as aspiring pharmacy leaders, have the requisite skills to confidently lead and take the profession forward.

Results of the Survey

In August 2021, a survey titled ‘Access to leadership and management training resources’ was posted to the Leadership and Management Specialty Practice Discussion Forum. A total of 52 responses were received from members working in public hospitals (69%, n = 36), private hospitals (25%, n = 13), and other workplaces (6%, n = 3) across all Australian states and territories. 

Figure 1:  Survey response by jurisdiction

Of the 52 responses received 60% (n = 31) were from a Chief Pharmacist (or equivalent) and 27% (n = 14) were from a Deputy Chief Pharmacist (or equivalent). Respondents were asked to provide details of their number of direct reports. The total number of direct reports was 560 with a range from 2–50, and a mean of 11. 

In terms of employer support in accessing leadership and management training resources, out of the 52 responses 71% (n = 37) of respondents considered that adequate access was available. However, conversely, 26% (n = 14) considered they did not have access to adequate leadership and management training resources. When looking at the public versus private sectors, 25% of public sector respondents reported not having access to leadership and management resources, compared to 38% of those from the private sector. 

Twenty-three (44%) of those responding reported having a dedicated budget for leadership and management training. However, only 9.4% (n = 53) out of the 560 direct reports had applied for support funds for leadership and management training in the previous 24 months. The COVID-19 pandemic most likely impacted these results. Of the 53 direct reports that did apply, 70% (n = 37) received full funding. 

Only 17% (n = 9) of the 52 respondents felt their budget allocation for leadership and management training met the needs of their department. When asked whether pharmacy teams were able to access organisational funding for leadership and management training, just under half (44%, n = 23) stated they did not have access to an organisational funding pool. Of these 23 respondents, when support was available from an organisation 78% (n = 18) indicated that an application was required, and 47% (n = 11) noted that it was a competitive process in their organisation.

Obtaining organisational support was considered important. Enablers included staff backfill, access to study leave, and the ability to undertake some of the training and coursework during work hours.

When accessing resources that were available locally, respondents were asked who they considered the resources were aimed at, with most respondents (52%) feeling that they were aimed at the broader healthcare workforce rather than being pharmacy specific. When asked whether there were sufficient resources available locally, the small majority (54%) felt there was insufficient access to education and training resources.

Suggestions for improving training

To identify potential gaps, the survey also sought advice on what other resources respondents would like to see available for pharmacists to access. The responses included:

In terms of format for learning the following were suggested by respondents:

Conclusion

Pharmacy leaders should encourage and support emerging leaders as part of a succession planning strategy. Leadership and management training is vital for the development of high performing teams and in leading the profession. 

However, there appears to be differing levels of access to support leadership and management training across Australia and there was no consistency in terms of access to any funding to support leadership and management training programs for pharmacy staff.  For example, some respondents noted that due to lack of a dedicated budget, their staff self-fund all their CPD.  Conversely, one respondent noted that each pharmacist has access to 2% of their annual salary for CPD, which can be spent on leadership and management. 

SHPA has many clinically focused training courses available to members. However, respondents indicated that awareness could be improved on what leadership and management training activities or programs are available from SHPA. For example, SHPA is currently developing a Leadership and Management Advanced Training Residency program. The Leadership and Management Leadership Committee have also commenced offering a series of webinars on leadership and management topics and published a leadership and management self-evaluation tool.¹

Dedicated budgets to enable access to leadership and management training programs for pharmacy staff would assist skills development. In view of the responses to this survey, a consistent approach is recommended when providing access and support for CPD programs on leadership and management.

1. Leadership and Management Leadership Committee, Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia (SHPA). Leadership and management self-evaluation tool for Australian pharmacy staff. Version 1. Collingwood: SHPA; 2022.

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