Table 2.

Respondents’ mean scores for managerial and dispensing activities

Managerial activity	Perceived Importance* Mean (SD)	Perceived Competence* Mean (SD)	Correlation between importance & competence
Ensuring pharmacy is well supplied with medicines	4.7 (0.59)	4.3 (1.32)	r=0.247, p<0.01
Ensuring that medicines are of good quality	4.7 (0.60)	4.2 (1.41)	r=0.383, p<0.01
Ensuring appropriate storage conditions for medicines	4.6 (0.63)	4.3 (1.18)	r=0.484, p<0.01
Ensuring that the environment within the pharmacy reflects a professional setting both in terms of staff and facilities	4.5 (0.72)	4.2 (1.14)	r=0.511, p<0.01
Ensuring that the pharmacy has a private area where the pharmacist can have a confidential conversation with the patient	4.0 (1.18)	3.7 (1.58)	r=0.381, p<0.01
Ensuring that the pharmacy makes a good profit	4.3 (0.90)	3.8 (1.39)	r=0.559, p<0.01
Dispensing activity
Dispensing a prescription item only against prescription	4.2 (1.05)	4.2 (1.26)	r=0.439, p<0.01
Assessing that a prescription is a legally valid	4.6 (0.70)	4.3 (1.26)	r=0.555, p<0.01
Assessing the pharmaceutical and pharmacological aspects e.g. appropriate dosage form, dose, frequency	4.6 (0.67)	4.2 (1.31)	r=0.467, p<0.01
Assessing appropriateness of medication for the individual e.g. checking for contraindication, interactions ect.	4.4 (0.81)	4.1 (1.27)	r=0.553, p<0.01
Assessing that the medication it the most economically viable for the patient	4.2 (0.91)	4.0 (1.23)	r=0.413, p<0.01
Double checking the prescription before dispensing	4.5 (0.94)	4.3 (1.26)	r=0.675, p<0.01
Providing the patient with information regarding the medicine	4.6 (0.74)	4.4 (1.11)	r=0.449, p<0.01
Explaining to the patient how to take the medication and for how long	4.7 (0.69)	4.4 (1.16)	r=0.547, p<0.01
Explaining the possible side effects to the patient	4.3 (0.96)	4.2 (1.20)	r=0.535, p<0.01
Ensuring that the patient has understood the information provided	4.4 (0.91)	4.2 (1.16)	r=0.551, p<0.01

^*(0 =low; 5=high)