Perspectives on the Pharmacist’s Product: A Narrative Review
May 2021
in “
Pharmacy Practice (internet)
”
Studysummary This source reviews various perspectives from marketing and business literature to help pharmacists better define and communicate their "product," which can include tangible or intangible offerings, in efforts to satisfy medication-related needs and enhance patient health outcomes.
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The narrative review "Perspectives on the pharmacist’s 'product'" discusses the changing role of pharmacists, emphasizing that their 'product' is not just the physical medication, but also the knowledge and services they provide, such as patient counseling, medication management, and health promotion. The review presents four perspectives on the pharmacist's product: a tangible product, an intangible service, a “smart, connected” good or service, and a solution to a customer problem. The review suggests that pharmacists need to better conceptualize and articulate what they produce to communicate their value effectively. It introduces the concept of "jobs-to-be-done", encouraging pharmacists to understand the tasks or problems patients are trying to solve. The review concludes that how pharmacists define their product is critical for the study of pharmacist interventions and the marketing of pharmacist services.
