Abstract
This study investigates the effectiveness of service quality as a differentiating position for community pharmacy facing the potential entry of supermarkets into their traditional market. Using qualitative methodology, 20 in-depth interviews were conducted with various stakeholders of the retail pharmacy market, including community pharmacists. It was found that current service levels were perceived to be variable, with a strong level of concern evident that the rhetoric of professionalism in community pharmacy is not always matched by the reality. There was disagreement regarding whether supermarkets would be capable of delivering a high quality of service and indeed whether that would even be their objective. Finally strategies for increasing the level of professional service offered by community pharmacy were explored. Limitations of this work are acknowledged and recommendations for future research include quantitative work and a dyadic study comparing consumer and pharmacist perceptions of community pharmacy service quality.
| Original language | English |
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| Title of host publication | Management research, education and business success |
| Subtitle of host publication | is the future as clear as the past? : proceedings of the 2007 British Academy of Management Conference |
| Place of Publication | London |
| Publisher | British Academy of Management |
| Number of pages | 18 |
| ISBN (Print) | 0954960831 |
| Publication status | Published - 2007 |
| Event | British Academy of Management Conference - Coventry, England Duration: 11 Sept 2007 → 13 Sept 2007 |
Conference
| Conference | British Academy of Management Conference |
|---|---|
| City | Coventry, England |
| Period | 11/09/07 → 13/09/07 |