Quality circles as a management tool for hospital pharmacy.
A pharmacy department's experience with a quality circle program is described. The quality circle is a type of participative management where a group of employees within a department voluntarily meets on a regular basis to identify and research departmental problems and formulate alternative solutions for management. The pharmacy department formed one of the first five circles at the hospital. Each circle meets for one hour weekly on hospital time. The pharmacy quality circle includes three staff pharmacists, two support staff, and a pharmacy supervisor who serves as the leader. Through brainstorming sessions, the circle has identified problems within the department. The circle collects data to help define the problems, and specific solutions are presented to management. Among the solutions recommended have been: assigning a clerk as a receptionist at the pharmacy front window so that the pharmacist would not be interrupted; widening the front window to accommodate separate lines for inpatient and outpatient prescriptions; and instituting a double-ticket procedure to help retrieve employee prescriptions. Management accepted and instituted all of the circle's proposals. The quality circle has been a successful management tool in this pharmacy department.
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D005431:Florida; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D010559:Personnel Management / Q000379:methods*; D010607:Pharmacy Service, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration*