THE EXPECTED IMPACT OF MANAGED HEALTH-CARE ORGANIZATIONS ON PHARMACY EDUCATION

The purpose of this research was to assess the opinions of pharmacy educators and pharmaceutical manufacturing executives in regard to the future impact of managed health care (MHC) on pharmacy education. A comprehensive questionnaire was mailed to these two groups in order to collect the necessary information. Responses were received from 52 of the 72 (72.2 percent) pharmacy educators and 15 of the 30 (50.0 percent) pharmaceutical manufacturing executives, for an overall response rate of 65.7 percent. The two groups collectively expect some form of a MHC plans to cover approximately 45 percent of all outpatient prescriptions in 1994, and 70 percent in 1999. In terms of MHC's impact on pharmacy education, the two groups collectively agreed that pharmacists will need more business education and that pharmacy technicians will play an increasingly important role in prescription dispensing. It is concluded that in order to meet the needs of MHC organizations, pharmacists will need more training in economic drug product evaluation and other, business-related areas.