title: The inclusion of a business management module within the master of pharmacy degree: a route to asset enrichment?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Over the past decade the profession of pharmacy has steadily evolved. The New Pharmacy Contract exposed pharmacists to a fundamental change in traditional pharmacy business models.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study will consider whether community pharmacists, pharmacy undergraduates and academic staff within the United Kingdom believe it would be beneficial to incorporate a business management module within the Master of Pharmacy (MPharm) undergraduate degree along with potential mechanisms of delivery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Further to ethical approval, the questionnaire was distributed to UK registered pharmacists (n=600), MPharm undergraduates (n=441) and academic staff at Liverpool John Moores University (n=44). The questions were formatted as multiple choice questions, Likert scales or the open answer type. On questionnaire completion and return, data were analysed using simple frequencies, cross tabulations and non-parametric techniques in the SPSS (v18).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The majority of pharmacists (84.9%) confirmed that business skills affect their everyday responsibilities to a considerable extent. A high proportion of undergraduate students (92.8%) believed that business management skills will impact on their future role. In total, 64.3% of this cohort declared that if a module were introduced they would study it. The majority of staff (79%) agreed that business skills are gaining increased importance within the field of pharmacy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Data suggest that business skills are of relevance to the practice of pharmacy. Appropriate staff to deliver the taught material would include business owners / lecturers and teaching practitioners covering topics including management, leadership, interpersonal skills and regulation. We suggest the inclusion of a business module with the MPharm degree would be of great value in preparing individuals for practice within a modern day healthcare setting.
authors.affiliation: The School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU), Liverpool, ( United Kingdom ).
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Davies
authors.forename: Hannah
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fleming
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: Kate
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Menzie
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Smallwood
authors.forename: Sebastian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Surendar
keywords: Education, Pharmacy; Pharmacy Administration; Professional Competence; Students, Pharmacy; United Kingdom