Implementation of a new organizational structure in Northern Health's Pharmacy Department

Healthcare in Canada and worldwide is very complex from all aspects. Staffing is made up of a wide array of multi-discipline professions, some regulated by a professional body and some not. In Canada, most job duties are unionized and one department of a hospital may be made up of several different unions. Developing an organizational structure that reduces barriers to inter-professional communication and promotes teamwork and supports recruitment and retention requires understanding of many business philosophies and theories. Northern Health's Regional Director of Pharmacy Services is proposing a new organizational structure that is divided by region and relies on self-managed and virtual teams. Further examination was required to understand managing change in a multifaceted healthcare department across a vast geographical region. In addition, the College of Pharmacists of BC has the regulation of Pharmacy Technicians in their strategic plan for 2010, which will have implications on the proposed structure.