Sources of Data and Information for the Pharmaceutical Sector - Coursework Example

Special Forces History Introduction Life is a process that involves a long journey by which one has to keep making various kinds of decisions in order to live a better life. The different decisions that people make enable them to manage different aspects of their social, political and economic systems of life. For this reason, decision making is an important process that has to be taken seriously by all people. It is important o learn that all decisions that people make in their private and social lives have certain consequences. In most instances, the positive or negative consequences that come from the decision we make affects not only the people that make the particular decisions, but also other people within the same sphere of influence. For this reason, it is always advised that people examine all the possible options and alternatives that can be used in the process of making final decisions about certain aspects of life. It is important that before making certain decisions, consultations be made by involving all the people that may be affected in one way or another by the kinds of decisions that are being arrived at. In organisation, the process of making decisions has to involve all the important stakeholders because the business or particular corporate entity is run by a group of people including its stakeholders. This paper examines the decision making process as evident in a government hospital; it focuses on the way in which a supervisor in this entity makes various decisions intended to ensure success and effectiveness in the management of the pharmaceutical institution. 2. The Decision making process Generally, human performance as far as decisions are concerned has remained a subject of great debate and active research from diverse perspectives. Many researchers have tried to establish various models and theories that can be followed in the process of making different kinds of decisions in personal and social lives, as well as in private and public entities. The decision making process can be examined from the psychological, cognitive and normative perspectives. From the psychological dimension, the process involves examining the different individual decisions in the framework of diverse needs, values and preferences that the person or organisation has or aims to achieve. With the cognitive dimension, the decision making process is often viewed as a continuous process that is effectively integrated in the various interactions in the environment (Adair 49). On the other hand, the normative dimension of the decision making process involves a careful analysis of the particular decisions that concern the logic involved in rationality and the decision making process as well as the invariant choices that it actually leads to. In other instances, the decision making process can also be regarded as the problem-solving activity, that is terminated through a solution deemed to be effective and satisfactory. In this case, it is an emotional or reasoning process that can happen to be irrational or rational based on the tacit or explicit assumptions. Most people have often emphasized that the decision making process is often done unconsciously, especially those that involve personal and private issues. In this case, the people concerned often find themselves making these decisions, without due regard to the actual decision process. In controlled environments like the work place or classroom, the managers and instructors often emphasize that pros and cons have to be effectively weighed before making certain decision. 3. Nature of pharmaceutical data in a government hospital A government hospital is meant to offer health care services to various kinds of people in the country. In addition, the government hospital also often has the ability to offer health services to people from other countries depending on the kinds of diseases and health challenges they are suffering from (Worthen 67). Being a government hospital, it offers medication to citizens at subsidized costs, something that makes them attract very many people that may not have the financial ability to attend private hospitals. In this case, the pharmaceutical data in government hospitals is often voluminous, with different kinds of ailments and diseases being addressed (DeCoske 87). The government often has formidable systems of research and data collection, having the ability to finance expensive and diverse research activities in health and other related sectors. Therefore, the information that it gets to support its pharmaceutical needs is often huge, because of the extensive research that the government often undertakes. The work of the manager or supervisor in the government hospital is to ensure that besides, research, all other functions and processes to be undertaken are done in the most effective and reliable manner. The supervisor has to ensure the process of research is done in the best way, providing the much-needed infrastructure that is needed for effective research and associated activities in the right manner. The supervisor has to make effective and reliable decisions that can enable these hospital institutions to achieve their goals and objectives in the most effectively. In most cases, reliable pharmaceutical data in government hospitals is supported by having effective partnerships with other international organisations and bodies in the same field. These institutions can often share their information concerning various kinds of drugs, diagnostic approaches and treatment approaches to various diseases that keep emerging in the social environment. It is therefore, the work of the supervisor to ensure that he finds reputable institutions that government can partner with, involving other stakeholders in the process of making decisions that influence associations and partnerships being created. 4. Sources of data and information for the pharmaceutical sector The ability to have data that is consistent, highly reliable and well-linked has remained to be a big challenge that faces research and development in the pharmaceutical industry (Kelly 43). The capacity of government hospitals to effectively manage, generate and integrate the data it generates out of its research and development and the existing value chain, the discovery and use of the data in the real world after a successful approval can be regarded as the most fundamental requirement that can allow pharmaceutical institutions in a country to obtain maximum benefits and outcomes from the various technological trends. It is important to realize that data forms the basis upon which value-adding analysts are often established. An effective and efficient end-to-end data and information integration often establishes a very authoritative source of all kinds of information, accurately linking it to disparate data, irrespective of its particular source, whether external or internal, public available or proprietary. The process of effective data integration also makes it easy for various comprehensive searches for the different subsets of data, depending on the linkages that are established instead of the particular information itself. Laboratories linking the “smart algorithms” and other kinds of clinical data have the ability to generate automatic reports that effectively identify the related compounds or applications and raise any red over the efficacy and safety issues emerging (Fitzgerald 40). The process of implementing the end-to-end integration of data often needs various capabilities that include trusted data sources and other relevant documents, the capacity to develop various cross-cultural linkages between the particular elements, broad quality assurance, management of workflow are all necessary processes that assure reliable pharmaceutical data. Additionally, the role-based access created in these institutions’ value chain is aimed at ensuring that the specific elements of data are available and visible, only to the people that have the authorization to use it. An observation has been made, which confirms that pharmaceutical companies often try to avoid the process of overhauling their process of data integration. This is often attributed to the diverse logistical challenges faced by these systems and the huge costs involved in the process. However, currently, many of these companies and some in the government hospitals have been turning on the “big bang” strategy towards remaking their clinical information Technology systems effective. Most of the managers in these systems have been facing the need to change the processes by which they find and make use of various kinds of data. Generally, pharmaceutical companies often rely on two important approaches towards having reliable pharmaceutical data. In the first place, these institutions often prioritize on the particular types of data they want to address; often this is always clinical data. Additionally, they create extra data-storage abilities according to the existing levels need. In this case, the main objective is often to tackle some of the most essential data and its associated benefits at the earliest convenience. This particular can often take a long period of time, which can be more than one year because of the procedural and infrastructural changes needed for its active and efficient functioning. Secondly, these institutions often make approaches for the succeeding levels of prioritized data, which includes scenario analysis, ownership as well as the projected timelines and costs. 5. Legal requirements for collection, use and storage of data and information As noted in the foregone discussion, data is an essential element by which companies and others depend on in the process of building and establishing their success. In this case, these organisations often try to ensure that they create effective systems and strategies that can guide them in collecting reliable information and storing it effectively. They often allow authorized people to access and use this information for the sake of the company along and not other interests. It is important to understand that when one is collecting any kind of personal or data belonging yo an entity, he has to effectively understand how that particular kind of data will be stored, the people that will have access to it and the means by which the data will be accessed. The information is always collected with the aim of improving the kinds of work practices and processes, leading to effective and reliable outcomes. As far as the legal boundaries are concerned, managers and supervisors of institutions including the pharmaceutical institutions need to know that the research process is always guided by research ethics stipulated in the various legal provisions. This means that the research process including how the data is stored and accessed should be done according to the legal provision. For instance, by fact that the data and research process involves issues of health, the law offers provision for high standards of privacy to be observed by the researchers against their respondents. The law also requires that people in the pharmaceutical industry and other sectors obey the ethical standards stipulated in those particular institutions regarding access and use of data and other materials of important to the particular institutions. For this reason, the employees and other staff in the particular institutions have to stick to the laid down procedures and rules regarding work practices including data storage, access and use. 6. Decision making models In many instances, people often find themselves with the need to make different kinds if decision regarding various aspects of their lives. In the same way, private and public institutions are also faced with the need to make different kinds of decisions needed to influence their success and effectiveness. This process requires that the particular managers to look for ways that can facilitate their planning, revision as well as implementing of various policies that enhance their effectiveness. In this case, decision making becomes something that is inevitable in the daily life of these organisations. Effective leaders often consider the views of other stakeholders before making decisions that brings different kinds of change. Consultation is always an effective approach towards minimizing resistance to change, which is common in institutions whenever new approaches and strategies are needed to increase their effectiveness (Stahl 25). Many models of decision making are often used by effective leaders, not only in the pharmaceutical industry, but also in other organizations and sectors. In as much as these leaders can often rely on these models, they are expected to use them only if they are in line with the work practices and organisational culture, otherwise they can also happen to be potential sources of problems (Stahl 56). 7. The rational model – Evaluation process This is the most commonly used model in the process of making decision in private and corporate entities as well as personal and social activities and processes. According to this model, the process of decision making follows four main steps. First, identification of the main problem, then generation of the perceived solutions that can be used in combating the problem or existing challenges. The third option is choosing a viable option from the listed solutions that is cost effective with maximum outputs. Finally, the organisation or particular entity has to implement the selected option and make constant evaluation to ensure that it is effective. One of the challenges with this model is that sometimes information needed for certain emerging problems may be scanty or missing at all since problems and challenges come in various unanticipated ways. For this reason, leaders in organisations have to undertake various researches in their particular sectors in order to keep abreast with the changing trends. 8. Participants in the information and decision making process It is important to note that as far as an organisation is concerned, the process of decision making is often a mandate of the management board, led by the manager or supervisor. The process of seeking information needed for this process is always arrived at after an effective deliberation on the needs of the organisation. For the sake of the government hospital, the people involved in the decision making and seeking of information for the institution has to involve all the stakeholders who include government representatives and other related organisations. The process used in seeking the information has to follow the channels and approaches agreed by the board, with storage and implementation of the information following the same channel. For this reason, as a supervisor of the government hospital, it is his duty to ensure that all the relevant stakeholders are actively included in the decision making process on matters affecting the institution. 9. Presentation of decisions deliberated As the leader of the institution, the supervisor of the government hospital is expected to ensure that decisions arrived at by the board. Since the decisions made are meant to affect the functioning of services in the hospital, it is important that these deliberations be made to all people in the institutions. First, the supervisor has to call and engage the staff in the health care in meeting to express the decision arrived at. In this case, he has to ensure that all the people involved in offering various kinds of service are given a chance to make their comments and suggestions about the decisions arrived, this is important so that the evaluation process is done in the best interests of the institution. 10. Effective communication Communication is one of the single strategies that is used to separate effective leaders and managers from those that are not. As an effective supervisor in the government’s hospital, it is important to understand that information is key to success (Gray and Richard 29). For this reason, as an effective supervisor, creating an effective channel of communication would play an effective role towards achievement of the set goals and objectives in the government hospital’s pharmacy sector. 11. Implementing the channel of communication In creating an effective channel of communication, emphasis has to be put on the fact that people and other staff in the hospital need to be free to air their views and sentiments over work practices and systems deemed effective for the success of the organisation. For this reason, the channel of communication created is not supposed to be rigid; rather it should be flexible, giving all people the liberty to express their feelings about effective work practices and other systems. This is the only way by which all people can be actively in the management and collective achievement of set goals and objectives and finally the mission and vision of the hospital. 12. Evaluating the channel of communication For the success of any new strategy in the government hospital as well as any other entity, effective evaluation has to be carried out. For the communication channel, evaluation requires that the supervisor and other stakeholders ensure that the channel is helping towards achieving the final goal of the hospital, delivering the expected outcomes. The supervisor has to ensure that the channel gives all staff in the hospital equal opportunities to comment about the effectiveness of the hospital’s approaches towards advancing its healthcare needs. The supervisor, alongside other managers has to ensure that the communication channel is effectively modified so that it can be reliable in helping the hospital to achieve its set goals and delivering maximum results. As an effective leader, the evaluation process should identify some of the things that are hindering an effective channel of communication. It should identify some of the challenges affecting the model as well as the needed changes to be made for the success of the entire organisation. The supervisor and manager at the hospital and any other systems have to mobilize all the resources needed towards ensuring the success of the communication in the organisations. It is important to understand that as the supervisor and manager of the health care system. Emphasis should be placed on the final goal, which is delivering health care in the most effective way. the information gained in the research process should be communicated to all the staff effectively, especially if it relates to the success of the organisation. For this reason, having an effective channel of communication is paramount for the organisation and the leader proving guidance and management. 13. Conclusion In conclusion, it is important to point out that effective leadership often requires the application of various methods and strategies in people management and other organisational resources. The health care is an important department that is held with high regard by governments of the world; in this case, the people mandated with the responsibilities of its leadership have to be adequately prepared to steer it towards effective performance. The decision making process is very essential in the process of leadership in any institutions. The managers of those institutions have to ensure that they rely on the best approaches and models that can enable them set goals and objectives in the leadership endeavors. The managers have t ensure that the process puts into consideration the views of all people in order to minimize resistance to change for the new strategies to be implemented finally. Works Cited Adair, John. Decision Making and Problem Solving Strategies. 2nd ed. London: Kogan Page, 2010. Print. DeCoske, Michael A. The Pharmacy Leadership Field Guide: Cases and Advice for Everyday Situations. Bethesda, Md.: American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, 2011. Print. Fitzgerald, Stephen P. Decision Making. Oxford, U.K.: Capstone Pub., 2002. Print. Gray, Ivan, and Richard Field. Effective Leadership, Management and Supervision in Health and Social Care. Exeter: Learning Matters, 2010. Print. Stahl, Michael J. Encyclopedia of Health Care Management. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage Publications, 2004. Print. Kelly, Patricia. Nursing Leadership & Management. 2nd ed. Clifton Park, NY: Thomson Delmar Learning, 2008. Print. Worthen, Dennis B. Heroes of Pharmacy: Professional Leadership in times of Change. Washington, DC: American Pharmacists Association, 2008. Print. Read More