Leadership Competencies of Pharmacists in the Manufacturing Sector of the Pharmaceutical Industry

Pharmacists are the main professionals in the pharmaceutical industry as they take responsibility for the medicines that are produced and managed within the industry. Manufacturing pharmaceutical companies (MPCs) make use of the skills of pharmacists for technical functions as most countries require the presence of pharmacists for regulatory compliance purposes. The roles that pharmacists can play in a manufacturing pharmaceutical company extend beyond the technical levels. The purpose of this study was to determine the leadership competencies of pharmacists in the manufacturing sector of the pharmaceutical industry in South Africa. A Leadership Competency Self-assessment Tool (LCSAT) with five (5) domains was used to determine the competencies relating to the functions of a pharmacist in a manufacturing pharmaceutical company. The domains included professionalism, pharmacy and healthcare environment, leadership, business skills, communication and relationships. The Leadership Competency Self-assessment Tool was administered to pharmacists who are members of a professional association for pharmacists who work in the pharmaceutical industry of South Africa. The association had 567 members who received the online questionnaire over two cycles. Responses were received from 84 pharmacists (15%) with only 62 (10.9%) responses that were complete and therefore formed the sample for the study. The pharmacists rated themselves as highly competent in the domain of pharmacy and healthcare environment (77,76%) and the lowest in the domain for business skills (64,83%). The role of pharmacists in a manufacturing pharmaceutical company is diverse and should not be limited to the technical functions, for the benefit of their patients. Pharmacists should be responsible for roles beyond the operational aspects of the companies in the pharmaceutical industry. They should be actively involved in roles such as promoting the pharmaceuticals their companies produce and strategic functions. To succeed, pharmacists must develop business competencies that will enable them to have business confidence and facilitate visibility while, engaging more corporate roles to boost revenue for their companies. Many pharmacists hold technical positions that see them overseeing manufacturing functions and responsible for manufacturing tasks. Effective communication and business skills to enable them to thrive in roles of strategic leadership are essential. A diversity of competencies for the pharmaceutical industry will increase the value of pharmacists in the pharmaceutical industry.