06-27-06

Media Release

OSU Works to Boost People Management Skills in Pharmacies

CORVALLIS, Ore. - A first-of-its-kind online course in human resource skills offered by Oregon State University's Extended Campus could solve a nagging problem for pharmacists, OSU educators said.

Health care professionals agree that pharmacists are graduating with extensive drug, clinical and counseling know-how, but most are short in people management skills, said Lee Strandberg, OSU professor emeritus of pharmacy administration and pharmacoeconomics.

OSU’s continuing education course, "Management and Human Resource Skills for Pharmacists," could help fill that gap, Strandberg said. The course Web site is at http://ecampus.oregonstate.edu/online-degrees/human-resources-pharmacy.

"Human resource management is a huge issue,” Strandberg said. “In a pharmacy you are in a closed, small working space and on your feet all day and in constant contact. Disruptions and problems can lead a pharmacist to lose focus and possibly increases the potential for errors. While the information in the course is geared to pharmacists across the U.S., anyone around the world could find value in the content presented."

The idea to bolster people management skills in pharmacies began about four years ago as Strandberg started developing a continuing education program for the OSU College of Pharmacy. He consulted with educators in OSU’s College of Business and then spent 18 months meeting with health care industry officials to decide what courses would help pharmacists with their careers.

There was no disagreement. "From the largest regional private and government hospitals to chain and independent pharmacies, everyone said the same thing,” Strandberg pointed out. “They all needed help with human resource management."

The nine-module 18-hour course is designed to help pharmacists resolve problems of working with and supervising small groups, said Mark Merickel, associate dean of OSU Extended Campus. Each module is self-paced and is certified for 18 continuing education units from the American Council on Pharmaceutical Education, Merickel said. The interactive course costs $295.

For information, contact Extended Campus at 800-235-6559 or 541-737-2676.