Women and Pharmacy Ownership

PHARMACY OWNERSHIP By Marvin D. Shepherd and Kurt A. Proctor

M

uch has been written and said about the increasing number of female pharmacists. Many national and state pharmacy associations, including APhA, have formed special committees or task forces to investigate this demographic change in the profession. 1-4 In addition, researchers from

Marvin D. Shepherd, PhD, is chairman, Pharmacy Administration Division, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin; Kurt A. Proctor, MS, is anAFPE fellow with the division. 28

various academic disciplines have studied the social and professional impact women have had or will have on the profession. Studies have examined women in hospital pharmacy,5-7 women in the chain pharmacy industry,8-12 women in association management and other leadership positions/4 - 18 and most recently, women in pharmaceutical manufacturing industries. 19 However, few in-depth studies of women pharmacists as pharmacy owners have been conducted. This paper takes a closer look at women pharmacy owners, to help identify ways to encourage other women to become pharmacy owners. American Pharmacy, Vol. NS28, No.5, May 1988/312

METHOD AND OBJECTIVES To better understand current women pharmacy owners and what motivated them to become owners, a national survey was conducted in October 1986. A 44-item, 8-page questionnaire was mailed to 417 women members of a national pharmacy owners association (National Association of Retail Druggists). The survey was designed to elicit information to accomplish the objectives of . this survey:

1. To determine why women decide to become pharmacy owners;

2. To measure women's perceptions of the differences between women owners and men owners;

3. To determine what effect pharmacy ownership has had on marriages;

4. To identify what advice these owners would give to other women who want to start their own pharmacy. Data collected from multiple-choice and open-ended questions were compiled and analyzed.

RESULTS Of 417 questionnaires mailed to women pharmacy owners, 194 (46.5%) were returned and sufficiently complete to permit analysis.

.

Demographics The respondents represented 42 states, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. The group's average age was 45.8 years; however, the median (50th percentile) was 34 years. Of the 194 respondents, 70.3% were married; 13%, single (never married); 12.4%, divorced; and 4.2%, widowed. For the married women, the average number of years married was 17.8 and the median was 15 . For those women pharmacy owners who reported that they have children (N = 85), the average number of children was two. A total of 58 married women and 16 divorced women (42% of all respondents) reported having no children. Of the married women responding, 41 were married to a pharmacist; 29 of these men worked in the "family" pharmacy. Another 37 women reported that their husbands worked in the pharmacy. Why Women Became Pharmacy Owners In an open-ended question, the women were asked, "Why did you decide to become a pharmacy owner?" The responses were assigned to one of ten categories, listed in Table 1. The responses were recorded as first, second, or third, depending on the order they were listed in their response. Thus, for women who had only one response, it was listed in

TABLE 1

WHY WOMEN PHARMACISTS DECIDED TO BECOME PHARMACY OWNERS First Response Frequency N %

Reason

Second Response Frequency N %

Third Response Frequency N %

Total Responses Frequency N % 26.5

Be my own boss

60

34.5

9

12.5

5.6

70

Good business opportunity

36

20.7

9

12.5

2

11.1

47

17.8

Enjoy the challenge

16

9.2

20

27.8

4

22.2

40

15.2

Inherited the pharmacy

16

9.2

2

2.8

18

6.8

Wanted to make money

11

6.3

13

18.1

Husband wanted to be an owner Desire to help others

19

10.9

2

2.8

7

4.0

9

12.5

Needed a pharmacy in community

3

1.7

2

2.8

Flexible hours so I can raise a family

4

2.3

6

8.3

Job security

2

1.1

Total

* Represents

174

98.9t

72 100.1t

2 5 3

26

9.8

21

8.0

21

8.0

5

1.9

16.7

13

4.9

5.6

3

1.1

11.1 27.8

18 100.1 t

264* 100.0

total number of responses, not respondents.

t Totals do not equal 100 because of rounding off numbers.

American Pharmacy, Vol. NS28, No.5, May 1988/313

29

the "first" response, and if two reasons were given, they were recorded as "first" and "second," respectively. The most frequently reported "first" reason was "be my own boss." This was followed by "good business opportunity." These two reasons also were the two major reasons when the frequencies for each reason were summed (see Table 1). The most frequently mentioned "second" reason was "enjoy the challenge'" followed by "wanted to make money." The reason "husband wanted to be an owner" was given by 10.8% (N = 21) of the women; 19.3% (N = 18) of the women indicated that they had "inherited the pharmacy." It was interesting that 6.7% (N = 13) of the women indicated they became owners because they could have "flexible hours so they could raise a family." The women reported a variety of reasons for becoming pharmacy owners, but the three

major reasons - having autonomy, seeing an excellent business opportunity, and wanting a challenge - comprised 49.50/0 of all responses. Women's Perceptions of Advantages and Disadvantages _ The women were asked: "Do you think women pharmacy owners have an advantage over men pharmacy owners?" and "Do you think women pharmacy owners have a disadvantage when compared with men pharmacy owners?" The responses, presented in Table 2, show that the majority of women do not perceive they have an advantage; however, more than one-third of the women surveyed perceived their gender to be a disadvantage. If the women perceived that they had an advantage, they were requested to explain. The most frequent response pertained to

TABLE 2 PERCEPTIONS OF ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF BEING A WOMAN PHARMACY OWNER

Question

Yes N %

Response No N %

Do women pharmacy owners have an advantage over men pharmacy owners?

31

16.8

132

71.4

22

11.9

183* 100.0

Do women pharmacy owners have a disadvantage when compared with men?

68

37.2

99

54.1

16

8.7

182t100.0

Perhaps N %

N

Total %

* Nine respondents failed to answer the question . t Eleven respondents failed to answer the question.

TABLE 3 ANALYSIS OF RELATIONSHIP OF 'STRAIN ON MARRIAGE' TO 'HUSBAND HELPS WITH HOUSEHOLD RESPONSIBLITIES'

Helps with Household Responsibilities

Frequently N %

Strain on Marriage Infreq uently Sometimes or Never N % N %

Total N %

Not at all or little

7

70.0

14

28.6

12

16.0

33

24.6

Some help

2

20.0

12

24.5

15

20.0

29

21.6

10.0

23

46.9

48

64.0

72

53.7

10 100.0

49

100.0

75

100.0

134

Quite a bit of help

Total

99.9*·

NOTE : Chi-square = 16.67, DF = 4, P = 0.002 . * Total does not equal 100 because of rounding off.

30

American Pharmacy, Vol. NS28, No.5, May 1988/314

women's organizational ability; respondents asserted that women pay better attention to detail and they are more proficient. The second most frequently reported reason was that women are better when it comes to customer relations. Also, the women responded that they have a more caring attitude than men. Women who indicated that they are at a disadvantage when compared to men pharmacy owners were asked to report in an open-ended question what the disadvantage was. The four most frequent responses were: • Women are not accepted as owners; • Women have additional home and family responsibilities; • Patients, physicians, and company representatives expect to talk to men pharmacy owners, not women pharmacy owners; • Women have more difficulty obtaining financial backing. Pharmacy Ownership's Influence

on Marriage The married women were asked, "How often . do your work pressures create a serious strain on your marriage?" Only 7.4% (N = 10) reported "frequently," 37.0% (N = 50) indicated "sometimes," and 55.6% (N = 75) reported "infrequently or never." In further analysis, no significant relationship was found between "strain on marriage" and whether or not their husband worked for them. Also, no significant relationship was found between whether or not the husband was a pharmacist and whether there was a strain on the marriage. When asked the closed-end question, "Does your husband help with household responsibilities?" 3.6% (N = 7) reported "not at all"; 13.4% (N = 26), "a little"; 14.9% (N = 29), "some help"; 14.9% (N = 29), "quite a bit"; and . 22.2% (N = 43) reported "very often." The results presented in Table 3 show that there was a significant relationship between "helping with household responsibilities" and "strain on marriage." Those women who reported a higher strain on marriage also reported having less help with household responsibilities. Advice to Women To learn what advice women pharmacy owners would offer to women who want to become pharmacy owners, the survey used an open-ended question to avoid 'restricting respondents' answers. Of all the responses given, almost 300/0 American Pharmacy, Vol. NS28, No.5, May 1988/315

addressed the concern that one must "be prepared to work long, hard hours." The second most frequent response was the concern that an owner must be dedicated to the profession or love the profession immensely to be an effective owner. Almost 10% of the responses addressed the issue of having adequate financial support, and approximately 8% of the women indicated that having a supportive family was important when considering becoming a pharmacy owner. (See Table 4 for a composite of all answers given.) Some women focused their advice on managerial concerns, with some being very specific (eg, "pay bills on time," "have a good attorney or accountant"). These types of responses may represent a perceived deficiency or problem area that these women encountered and want to warn future owners to avoid.

SUMMARY AND DISCUSSION The survey results provide insight into the reasons why women become pharmacy owners. The primary reasons were to maintain autonomy, take advantage of an excellent business opportunity, and meet a challenge. Only a small number of the women owners reported either that they had inherited their pharmacies or that their husbands wanted to be owners. We speculate that the women's reasons for becoming owners probably do not differ drastically from the reasons why men become owners. However, literature verifying this statement could not be found. 31

TABLE 4 WOMEN PHARMACY OWNERS' ADVICE FOR WOMEN STARTING THEIR OWN BUSINESS Frequency

%

Work long hard hours

76

28.57 12.41

Response

Be dedicated -love the profession

33

Have strong financial backing

26

9.77

Have supportive family

21

7.89

14

5.26

II

Go for it, become an owner II

Family time limited - consider your children

18

6.77

Work for someone else to get experience

12

4.5 1

Develop strong self-confidence

11

4. 14

Have a good location

10

3.76

Be prepared to lose money initially

6

2.26

Have a good attorney or accountant

7

2.63

Remember: the customer is first

7

2.63

Pay your bills on time

6

2.26

Do not compete with chain/discount pharmacy

6

2.26

Take over an existing pharmacy

5

1.88

Have a partner you can trust

5

1.88

Other

3

1.13

Total

266*

100.01

* Represents the total of responses, not respondents.

Of the married women, 44.4% reported that work pressures caused a strain on their marriage. A relationship could be seen between the amount of household help that husbands provided and the amount of strain on their marriage. The problem with these results is that the direction of the relationship is unknown. That is, it is unknown if the strain on the marriage causes less household help or less household help is a precursor to the strain in their marriage. Approximately one-third of the women owners reported that they were at a disadvantage when compared with men, which points out the continuing stereotyping problem women face when they enter a male-dominated profession. Whether or not women actually are at a disadvantage is not the' central concern. The main issue is that women perceive it to be a concern. Only through the supportive efforts of all women and men associated with pharmacy can this perception be eliminated. The advice given by these owners to future women pharmacy owners was candid, with many focusing on the commitment needed to 32

be successful. They emphasized not only the commitment to women's pharmacy practice and management, but also the commitment and support needed from the women's families. These results suggest that the ownership decision should not be treated lightly. It requires careful thought and a thorough examination from all perspectives. However, when the decision is affirmative, the advice is, do not hesitate, "go for it." For continued progress of pharmacy practice, it is crucial that women do decide to become pharmacy owners. Pharmacy practice has its roots deeply embedded in pharmacy ownership, and the pharmacy entrepreneurial spirit should not be stifled because of the increased proportion of women pharmacists. The pharmacy ownership experience builds leaders for the profession. It assists in developing leadership and managerial skills. The risk-taking associated with being a business owner instills in pharmacists the characteristics of flexibility, creativity, and persistence. It helps in building self-confidence, especially tolerance, and develops decision-making skills. Pharmacy entreAmerican Pharmacy, Vol. NS28, No.5, May 1988/316

preneurship provides an added incentive to succeed in working with people and in financial management. Pharmacy entrepreneurs have provided innovative ideas for pharmacy; they have consistently provided high-quality leadership for the profession, and most important, they have served society well in providing pharmaceutical products and services. Pharmacy ownership has not only provided leadership for the profession, but it also has been a source of leadership at other societal levels, especially the community level. Many pharmacy owners have been active in community affairs and some have contributed greatly to nonpharmacy state and national organizations.

'Pharmacy prqctice ·has its ' roots d'eeply"'em'bed,ded 'in}:: pharmacy ownership, and t"e phar,f1'\~cy e!!~t~p~~~~IJ,ri~ spirit snould ':i~otbe 'satis

because of ttle increased proportion 'Ofi,f·:wom'erl pharmacists.,;/ For this foundation of leadership in pharmacy to survive, it is imperative that women pharmacists become pharmacy owners. Women must develop the risk-taking capabilities and strive to become entrepreneurs. This need was recognized by the APhA Task Force on Women in Pharmacy in its recommendation:

Qualified women pharmacists should be encouraged to seek out ownership or management positions in their practice environments so they can be more influential in determinin~ the future standards of pharmacy practice. 0 FUrthermore, the report stated:

Women who are interested in owning their own pharmacies should be given serious consideration when seeking financial backing. These women also must be supported by their male colleagues in their purchase efforts if the independent practice of pharmacy is to be maintained. 20 American Pharmacy, Vol. NS28, No.5, May 1988/317

For more women to enter the entrepreneurial ranks of pharmacy, it is important that pharmacists, regardless of their gender, provide the support and encouragement that women pharmacy owners need. This support and encouragement must come not only from owners, but also from people within the pharmaceutical industry, regulatory boards, pharmacy faculty, and pharmacy associations. For pharmacy entrepreneurship to continue and pharmacy leadership to come from these ranks, women pharmacists must become the pharmacy entrepreneu~s of tomorrow. ®

REFERENCES 1. Anon., APhA Task Force on Women in Pharmacy Final Report, American Pharmaceutical Association, 1981. 2. Anon., Report of the National Association of Retail Druggists' Task Force for Women in Pharmacy, National Association of Retail Druggists, 1982. 3. Anon., Am J Hosp Pharm, 43, 1765 (1986). 4. Anon., Report of the Minnesota State Pharmaceutical Association Task Force on Women in Pharmacy, Minnesota Pharmacist, June 1982, p. 16. 5. J.E. Austin and M.C. Smith, Am J Hosp Pharm, 28, 26 (1971). 6. K.W. Kirk and R.A. Ohvall, Am J Hosp Pharm, 29, 761 (1972). 7. M.D. Shepherd and K.W. Kirk, Am J Hosp Pharm, 38, 1463 (1981). 8. R.J. Bolger, Am J Pharm, 143, July-August 1971, 136. 9. K.W. Kirk and R.A. Ohvall, J Am Pharm Assoc, NS13, 610, 630 (1973). 10. K.W. Kirk and R.A. Ohvall, J Am Pharm Assoc, NS13, 614 (1973). 11. PM. Schwirian,J AmPharmAssoc, NS13, 618 (1973). 12. E. Mercandante et at., Contemp Pharm Prac, 4, Spring 1981, p. 100; 13. M.D. Shepherd and K.W. Kirk, Contemp Pharm Prac, 5, Summer 1982, p. 189. 14. C.L. Kronus, J Am Pharm Assoc, NS17, 674 (1977). 15. M.D. Shepherd and K.W. Kirk, J Am Pharm Assoc, NS21, 237 (1981). 16. N.L. Chappell and G.E. Barnes, Contemp Pharm Prac, 4, Winter 1981, p. 16. 17. A. Donovan, J Am Pharm Assoc, NS13, 644 (1973). 18. G.B. Griffenhagen,J AmPharmAssoc, NS13, 609 (1973). 19. J.S. Lear and K.W. Kirk, Am Pharm, NS27, 482 (1987). 20. Anon., APhA Task Force on Women in Pharmacy Final Report, American Pharmaceutical Association, 1981, p. 53. 33

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