Where there is medicine, there is also pharmacists

Client

The Norwegian Association of Pharmacists (the Pharmacists) is both a trade union and a professional association for pharmacists working in Norway. The union is federal and organises the largest grouping of pharmacists in Norway. Being founded on the 2nd November 1858, the union is the oldest in Norway.

Objective

The aim of the project was to inspire the organisation to discuss what changes were desirable. We wanted to anchor these changes in the organisation. To make transparent decisions, we invited member pharmacists to a creative workshop where they had the opportunity to design future scenarios, themselves. The anchoring was important, as the scenarios are meant to be used in the Pharmacists' strategy work in the coming years.

Context

In a changing society, it is natural to ask how labour will look like in the future. How will trends develop and how will political and environmental drivers of change affect how we live tomorrow? Scenarios are often used at the beginning of a strategy discussion. It is a way of understanding how social drivers can develop and influence a situation. By imagining the future, one can also implement measures that can contribute to a proactive role in the development of society.

Approach 

The project was planned as a process of three phases. The first was a pre-phase where we identified important drivers within the context pharmacists work in, as well as which areas we wanted to develop scenarios for. The second phase was planned as a workshop where various stakeholders were invited to participate in developing the scenarios. The final phase was a post-phase where the scenarios from the workshop were analyzed and processed.

Result

Through the process, five possible scenarios were identified. These were presented both as success stories and with “warning triangles”. The scenarios were formulated as follows:

1. Pharmacists in all or no parts of society

   The scenario describes pharmacists in all parts of life, or a dying profession. Today, pharmacists are visible in pharmacies, but they are less known otherwise. This also says something about how accessible and necessary the pharmacists' competence is, but also for other decision-makers in the system.

2. «Total care» or «single care»

   The scenario is about what should be the driving force in the development of the service offered to patients. Is it the patient's need, the desire to build the profession or market forces that should be the driver?

3. In the driver’s seat or not in the car

   Here, the changes that come from the technological development and how the pharmacists should relate to this are described. Should they be proactive, or should they oppose some of the changes? In which of the changes will it be important to take one or the other role?

4. Lifelong learning or no learning

   This scenario draws attention to the importance of development of skills. The willingness to invest in lifelong learning and upgrading systems in the workplace will also affect the type of competence it is beneficial to have at universities.

5. Self-sufficiency or no contingency

   The last chosen scenario combines having a drug contingency and own production. In an emergency, both the drugs themselves, and also the competence in how these are to be produced will be important. If you want sustainable preparedness, it may also be necessary to maintain production. If this is to be maintained, greater emphasis must also be placed on exports.

The topics raised in the five scenarios are intertwined, and overall, the future is a complex and compound picture with several parameters. Some of the parameters that can be extracted and used in a further strategy discussion are stated in the following figure (in Norwegian):

Some of the parameters are, most likely, more important than others. In the future, it will be important to prioritize which ones are more relevant and understand where to prioritize resources. This will, in particular, be important during the development of the Pharmacists strategy for the future.

«Where there is medicine, there is also pharmacists» is the title of the report that was written after the project with the Pharmacists. The title emerged during the process of developing the scenarios and serves as a guiding star for further strategy processes. The project has showcased how one can strengthen patient safety and ensure good use of medicines by always having the expertise of pharmacists available. By handling medicines and using them more correctly, you will have a safer everyday life and increased public competence for individuals. In addition, one achieves an increased profitability for municipalities, the health service and society in general.

Thank you to our client for an exciting project!

Read other client stories here.