Statements on Leadership Development in Pharmacy
Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education
Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education. “Accreditation Standards and Guidelines for the
Professional Program in Pharmacy Leading to the Doctor of Pharmacy Degree”. http://www.acpeaccredit.org/pdf/S2007Guidelines2.0_ChangesIdentifiedInRed.pdf. Accessed September 27, 2011.
“ [Guideline 9.3] The college or school curriculum should foster the development of students as
leaders and agents of change. The curriculum should help students embrace the moral purpose
that underpins the profession and develop the ability to use tools and strategies needed to
affect positive change in pharmacy practice and health care delivery. ”
American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy
Kerr RA, Beck DE, et al. "Building a sustainable system of leadership development for
pharmacy: Report of the 2008-09 Argus Commission." Am J Pharm Educ. 2009; 73 (8): Article S5.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2830040/pdf/ajpeS5.pdf. Accessed July 2, 2012.
While many pharmacists across all practice settings have embraced patient-centered pharmacy
practice, the Argus Commission acknowledged that the majority of pharmacists do not dedicate
a meaningful portion of their practice to patient care aimed at ensuring that patients achieve
the intended outcomes from medication use. The article stresses that the need for accelerated
practice change is directly tied to the need for expanded leadership contributions from all
pharmacists at every level of practice and administration, including those in academia.
In the past, leaders were only considered those within formal, authoritative positions, such as
directors and supervisors. However, this article argues that all pharmacists must view them as
leaders cause and recognize that every day on every shift in their pharmacy practice they have
leadership opportunities. The article recommends threading leadership throughout pharmacy
education and advocates for three tiers of leadership development activities within colleges and
schools, including Activities for All Students, Activities for the Majority of Students and Activities
for a Few Students. It also suggests a Framework for Student Leadership Development based on
the Five Practices of Exemplary Leaders by Kouzes and Posner.
American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy. Strategic Plan 2011.
http://www.aacp.org/about/Pages/StrategicPlan.aspx. Accessed September 27, 2011.
Item 3.1 of AACP’s 2011 Strategic Plan describes the organization’s commitment to “lead the
development of curricula and programs that enable and empower students and pharmacists to
be leaders and change agents in practice”. Objective 3.1.1 states: “By 2011, outline
competencies and an accompanying curriculum in creating change agents and leaders in our
students and graduates.”
July, 2012
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American Society of Health-System Pharmacists
American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. ASHP statement on leadership as a professional
obligation. Am J Health –Syst Pharm. 2011;68: 2293-5.
http://www.ashp.org/DocLibrary/BestPractices/EthicsStLeadership.aspx Accessed July 2, 2012.
This American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) report explains and supports its
belief that all pharmacists have a professional obligation to serve as leaders to advance patient
care and strengthen the pharmacy profession by embracing the responsibility for leadership in
their practices. It discusses the differences between management and leadership, success
associated with fostering leadership in organizations, and the obligation of pharmacy schools,
professional organizations, employers and pharmacists have in developing leadership skills.
ASHP Research and Education Foundation-Final Report 2009: Leadership is a professional obligation.
http://www.ashpfoundation.org/MainMenuCategories/CenterforPharmacyLeadership/AbouttheCenter/StudentN
ewPractitionerLeadershipTaskForce/SNPFinalReport.aspx. Accessed July 3, 2012
ASHP and the ASHP Foundation established the Center for Health-System Pharmacy Leadership.
This article provides some definitions of leadership. It asserts that management and hierarchy
do not confer leadership. It argues that one must not disregard the “everyday” leaders in the
pharmacy profession, who do not carry a formal “leadership” title. The report also asserts that
due to the lack of leadership training, student pharmacists do not understand the importance of
obtaining leadership skills. In short, this report emphasizes the urgency of leadership
development and provides seven recommendations in leadership development as follows:
1. Promote leadership as a professional obligation within the context of the pharmacy profession.
2.Promote the development of assessment tools for candidates interviewing for admission into
colleges/schools of pharmacy or residency programs, as well as for health-system pharmacists to evaluate
their leadership progression.
3. Expand efforts within colleges/schools of pharmacy to increase awareness of leadership opportunities
and provide leadership training.
4. Increase exposure to leadership throughout residency programs and the pharmacy workforce.
5. Support faculty and preceptors’ leadership development to promote leadership involvement with their
students and residents.
6. Involve all pharmacy staff in leadership development and reinvent a career ladder model that more
closely fits the trajectory of the profession. Programs that recognize leadership excellence in hospitals and
health-systems should be promoted.
7. Increase awareness of and ease of access to leadership opportunities in professional organizations,
especially for students, residents, and new practitioners.
July, 2012
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American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (continued)
Hawkins, Bruce, ed. American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. “ASHP Policy Positions
1982-2011”. http://www.ashp.org/DocLibrary/BestPractices/policypositions2011.aspx. Accessed
November 23, 2011.
This is a catalog of the policy positions from the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists
(ASHP) from 1982-2011. It includes the pertinent policy positions listed below, among others:
0509 - Developing Leadership and Management Competencies
In particular, these statements are made:
“…To encourage colleges of pharmacy and state affiliates to foster leadership skills in students through
development and enhancement of curricula, leadership conferences, and other programs”
To encourage colleges of pharmacy to develop more opportunities for students to pursue combined degree
programs; further,
To encourage colleges of pharmacy and health systems to develop more opportunities for students to
pursue residency programs that develop administrative, management, and leadership skills…”
9901 - Fostering Pharmacy Leadership
“To encourage pharmacy managers to serve as mentors to their staff, pharmacy students, pharmacy
residents, and peers in a manner that fosters the development of future pharmacy leaders.”
Other Support
American College of Clinical Pharmacy. ACCP White Paper: A Vision of Pharmacy’s Future Roles,
Responsibilities, and Manpower Needs in the United States. Pharmacother. 2000;20(8): 9911020. http://pharmacotherapyjournal.org/doi/pdf/10.1592/phco.20.11.991.35270. Accessed November
23, 2011.
In this article, the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) discusses their vision of
pharmacy’s future roles, responsibilities, and manpower needs in the United States. Dispersed
within the article is the general call for action for pharmacists to take on a greater leadership
role in health care, especially within the patient-centered philosophy of practice. Although this
article does not focus on leadership, several visionary points relevant to leadership are covered,
including:
Providing Necessary Leadership and Management for the Future (pg 992,1006-1007)
Realizing the increased demand for leadership in pharmacy to create innovative opportunities to improve
health care for patients, ACCP takes the stance that all pharmacists must become agents of change. These
sections of the article present the support, vision and processes by which the pharmacy profession can
achieve this goal.
Recommendations for ACCP (pg. 1017)
Item 2. Place increased emphasis on the development of leadership abilities among the rank-and file
membership.
July, 2012
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Other Support (continued)
American Pharmaceutical Association Academy of Students of Pharmacy-American Association of
Colleges of Pharmacy Council of Deans Task Force on Professionalism. White paper on pharmacy
student professionalism. J Amer Pharm Assoc. 2000; 40, 1, 96-102. http://www.cop.ufl.edu/wpcontent/uploads/dept/studaff/forms/whitepaper.pdf. Accessed July 3, 2012.
The American Pharmaceutical Association (APhA) created a Professionalism Task Force within its
organization to study and promote pharmacy student professionalism. After five years of work,
the task force wrote this white paper as part of its goal to “raise awareness and to lead action
on the issue of pharmacy student professionalism.” This article specifically addresses the need
for leadership in defining a professional and in the development of educational programs.
American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. ASHP statement on professionalism. Am J Health-Syst
Pharm. 2008; 65:172–4. http://www.ashp.org/DocLibrary/BestPractices/EthicsStProf.aspx. Accessed
July 2, 2012.
This ASHP statement argues that pharmacists should embrace professionalism as an obligatory
responsibility. ASHP lists ten necessary characteristics of pharmacists that are needed to
achieve professionalism. One of these ten characteristics includes leadership, which, according
to ASHP, is necessary to meet the profession’s guiding principles and the pharmacist’s Code of
Ethics.
Janke, Kristin K., Sorensen, Todd D., Traynor, Andrew P. “Viewpoints Introduction for Student
Pharmacists on Leading Change.” Amer J Phar Educ. 2009; 73 (2).
http://www.ajpe.org/doi/pdf/10.5688/aj730230 Accessed July 3, 2012
This article discusses the importance of incorporating the leading change skills in the PharmD
curriculum. Current curricula are constructed to develop students’ patient care skills, such as
providing medication therapy management. However, in today’s constantly changing
environment, new Pharm.D. graduates may need to take the lead in developing an MTM
practice. Though challenges may be faced along the process, if colleges/schools provide
leadership learning opportunities, students will be able to prepare themselves for success.
July, 2012
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