Investigating the management training needs of responsible pharmacists under 35 years in South Africa
type: CreativeWork
description: Background: In South Africa, current legislation allows for the appointment of a young pharmacist post-internship to the position of a responsible pharmacist (RP) without taking into consideration the competency level, as established by the South African Pharmacy Council (SAPC). The competency standards differentiate between the level of practice expected for entry (less than 3 years), intermediate (between 3 and 7 years) and advanced (more than 7 years) pharmacists. Several managerial and organisational competencies are listed in the competency standards. RPs are accountable to the SAPC for all activities performed in the pharmacy and by the pharmacy personnel, increasing the accountability and responsibility of such positions significantly. Aim: The objective of this survey was to investigate the management training needs of responsible pharmacists under 35 years in South Africa. Methods: A quantitative approach, utilising a cross-sectional design within the positivist paradigm was followed. Ethical clearance was obtained prior to the distribution of a self-developed questionnaire. The questionnaire gathered demographic data as well as the participant's current level of competency and management training needs. This questionnaire was disseminated to all RPs in South Africa who were under the age of 35 (N=956) and delivered a response rate of 18% (n=188), of which only 123 questionnaires were suitable for further analysis. Core findings: Two core findings were derived from this study. Firstly, young pharmacists appointed as RPs rated their current level of competency lower than what is needed to effectively function as an RP or what compares with their years of experience. Female RPs, who, despite possessing more than three years of experience as pharmacists, predominantly rated their competency as entry-level. Male respondents rated their competency levels between intermediate and advanced competency levels. Secondly, young pharmacists indicated a variety of manag…
abstract: Background: In South Africa, current legislation allows for the appointment of a young pharmacist post-internship to the position of a responsible pharmacist (RP) without taking into consideration the competency level, as established by the South African Pharmacy Council (SAPC). The competency standards differentiate between the level of practice expected for entry (less than 3 years), intermediate (between 3 and 7 years) and advanced (more than 7 years) pharmacists. Several managerial and organisational competencies are listed in the competency standards. RPs are accountable to the SAPC for all activities performed in the pharmacy and by the pharmacy personnel, increasing the accountability and responsibility of such positions significantly. Aim: The objective of this survey was to investigate the management training needs of responsible pharmacists under 35 years in South Africa. Methods: A quantitative approach, utilising a cross-sectional design within the positivist paradigm was followed. Ethical clearance was obtained prior to the distribution of a self-developed questionnaire. The questionnaire gathered demographic data as well as the participant's current level of competency and management training needs. This questionnaire was disseminated to all RPs in South Africa who were under the age of 35 (N=956) and delivered a response rate of 18% (n=188), of which only 123 questionnaires were suitable for further analysis. Core findings: Two core findings were derived from this study. Firstly, young pharmacists appointed as RPs rated their current level of competency lower than what is needed to effectively function as an RP or what compares with their years of experience. Female RPs, who, despite possessing more than three years of experience as pharmacists, predominantly rated their competency as entry-level. Male respondents rated their competency levels between intermediate and advanced competency levels. Secondly, young pharmacists indicated a variety of manag…
author: Boonzaier, Phillip
language: en
keywords: Competency standards, Early career pharmacist, Management training, Pharmacy management, Pharmacy profession, Responsible pharmacist, South Africa, Training needs, Young pharmacist
date published: 2024-04
date modified: 2026-07-24T03:33:37Z
provider: North-West University (South Africa)
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: North-West University (South Africa)

PropertyValue
property ID: Handle
value: http://hdl.handle.net/10394/42545