A consistent QI approach 

Process improvement involves making gradual improvements in everyday processes to reduce variation, improve quality of services, and increase patient satisfaction. Organisations that demonstrate success in creating a culture of continuous improvement often engage simple QI methodologies. 

Select a QI approach which can be easily understood by all employees, allowing them to find opportunities
for improvement. Employee engagement is one of the cornerstones to achieving a positive quality culture. 

There are numerous QI resources to help community pharmacy develop an effective QI approach. The Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA) cycle is a simple improvement model that can be used by everyone in your team. It reduces risk by starting small and allows changes to be focused at an operational level. The key is to be consistent in your use of the tool. 

Making time for improvement 

Lack of time is always the most common argument against creating a culture of continuous improvement. Everyone is busy trying to get their day job done, with no time left to improve. However, you need to be smart about allocating time to continuous improvement. It is a journey, so start with the small things, rather than large projects. 

Actively promote continuous improvement as a valuable use of employees’ time. 

An effective leader will allocate time to continuous improvement and allow employees to use it. In a successful quality culture, managers accept that they need to delegate and empower their employees to become critical thinkers and problem solvers.

References 

1 Berwick D. A promise to learn – a commitment to act: improving the safety of patients in England. London, UK: Department of Health, 2013: 6.

2 Varkey P, Antonio K. Change management for effective quality improvement: a primer. American Journal of Medical Quality. 2010 Jul-Aug; 25(4):268-73. doi: 10.1177/1062860610361625. Epub 2010 May 5. PMID: 20445133.

3 Asam Latif and others. Quality improvement in community pharmacy: a qualitative investigation of the impact of a postgraduate quality improvement educational module on pharmacists understanding and practice. International Journal of Pharmacy Practice, Volume 29, Issue 1, February 2021, Pages 84–89, https://doi.org/10.1111/ijpp.12663.