Date of Conferral

2018

Degree

Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.)

School

Management

Advisor

Ronald Jones

Abstract

The costs attributed to prescription errors negatively affect the profits of retail pharmacy businesses. The U.S. prescription error rate since 2010 was 0.1%, yet with more than 3.5 billion prescriptions filled annually in the United States, the outcome is more than 3.5 million prescription-dispensing errors and an annual cost of more than $16 billion. Using the performance prism theory, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies retail pharmacy managers used to increase profit by reducing prescription errors. Using purposeful sampling, 5 retail pharmacy managers in Miami, Florida, were selected as participants because they had implemented strategies to reduce prescription errors. Data were collected using semistructured, face-to-face interviews with 5 pharmacy managers, and company records consisting of quality improvement incident reports, income statements, and balance sheets. Data analysis occurred using methodological triangulation and following Yin's 5-step process of compiling, disassembling, reassembling, interpreting, and concluding the data. The 3 emergent themes were prescription error reducing strategy, profitability improvement strategy through reduced prescription errors, and technology strategy for reducing prescription error. The findings indicated that prescription error reducing strategies are essential for pharmacy managers to increase profits. The implications for positive social change include the potential for retail pharmacy managers to reduce the cost of health care in their communities, prevent prescription error-related hospitalizations and deaths, and improve employment conditions and economic activity in their communities.

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