Pharmacy Management In Croatia

The aim of the study is to examine the effectiveness of management and to determine the main features in managing Croatian drug wholesalers and pharmacies. Conclusions were drawn from the results of the analysis of data collected in a survey of employees of the Croatian pharmacy sector. Both similarities and differences in attitudes by socio-demographic and firm-related characteristics were also explored. The data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Respondents rated the effectiveness of the management as very good, indicating that pharmacy managers are generally able to accomplish their tasks successfully, but also suggesting that there is still room for improvement. The results further showed that some aspects of management have received more attention than others, such as planning and human resources, which is certainly strongly related to the lack of managerial competencies. In addition, the analysis revealed that gender, age, level and field of education are not relevant predictors of differences, while size and firm type significantly affect employee attitudes towards management. Both drug wholesaler and pharmacy managers must be ready to lead their staff and make decisions in a highly complex, rapidly changing and unpredictable environment. In this context, the study contributes to the understanding and improvement of management processes in Croatian pharmacy firms.