ASHP members' concepts of institutional pharmacy in the year 2000

Trends in institutional pharmacy practice were identified, and ASHP members' views of these trends were evaluated in a futures study. A list of statements concerning the practice of institutional pharmacy in the year 2000 was developed using a modified Delphi method. A random sample of 3000 active ASHP members received the questionnaire and were asked to estimate the probability that each of the 42 statements would occur by the year 2000. The responses were analyzed to reduce the number of variables to common factors. A total of 1276 of the returned questionnaires were usable. Six factors were identified: pharmacy-medicine linkage, advanced training or degree, drug administration, quality assurance and accreditation, supportive personnel, and pharmacy-nursing conflict. There were differences in the mean values of responses of items related to various factors when they were compared by sex, age, position held, degree held, and residency training. The key trends predicted were that (1) advanced training or degrees will be necessities in the year 2000, (2) institutional practice will be composed of multiple tracks, (3) postgraduate education will be required of clinicians and administrators, (4) turf conflict with nurses will increase, and (5) accreditation standards and other safeguards for quality health care will continue to be required and will increase. The trends in how ASHP members conceptualized the future of their profession can provide insight for individuals developing programs in pharmacy education, health-care administration, institutional practice, and the pharmaceutical industry.