Characteristics and levers in the business model of hospital pharmacies in German-speaking countries.

Background: The pharmaceutical supply in hospitals in German-speaking countries shows inadequate structural and procedural characteristics with regard to the quality of supply and security of supply. The question arises: How should a business model be designed to control and optimize the internal pharmaceutical supply in hospitals in German-speaking countries? Method: With an adapted Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), pharmaceutical supply in hospitals in German-speaking countries is examined by means of two online surveys (2017, 2021) among managers of hospital pharmacies in Austria, Germany and Switzerland (2017: N = 412; n = 61, rr = 14.8%; 2021: N = 332, n = 44, rr = 13.3%). Results: In addition to cross-sector trends in procurement and logistics, the communication and interaction among members of the health professions and the pharmacy and the associated relationship of trust are decisive for the security of supply and the quality of patient care. Targeted communication, digitization and performance measurement are relevant levers for a targeted development and optimization of pharmaceutical supply in hospitals. Conclusions: The business model of the hospital pharmacy must be designed and applied conceptually and strategically. In addition to innovative logistics tools, also includes special communication approaches and interprofessional knowledge management.