Value added to health by pharmacists

The aim of the study was to discover to whom the pharmacy profession adds value and how it describes and documents that value, to inform other health care professionals of that value, and to present a method of review. Definitions of 'values' and 'value' were used to develop this methodology. Three ranking terms (benefit, demand, satisfaction) and three whom-value-serves labels (individual, institution, society) were chosen. Whom-value-serves label(s) were assigned to each article within the core matrix. The search years were 1984 to 1995. The articles were analyzed using the Matrix Method(TM). From this matrix template, further in-depth analyses were completed. Of 86 articles on the core matrix, one-fourth were published in medically-related journals. An article could have more than one whom-value-serves label. As a percentage of total whom-value-serves designations the 'institution' labels were prominent. Within the 'individual' labels, patient and pharmacist groups were identified equally. The 'society' label had no strong emphasis. The core matrix articles revealed the pharmacy profession adds value to hospital/retail organizations and the profession. It describes value in terms of cost containment, provision of services, and quality of care. Our intent is to inform health care professionals that our conceptual framework and methodology will be useful.