Relevance

The modern pharmaceutical market is a crucial link in the healthcare system, ensuring the accessibility and personalization of medicinal care for the population. The market is constantly evolving and adapting to environmental changes, including digitalization, the development of targeted therapy, the introduction of innovative production technologies, and an increase in the number of pharmacy organizations (POs) 1,21,2. Currently, for the effective functioning of the retail pharmaceutical market, optimization of the work of POs under the leadership of a competent manager is necessary 33. Regulatory legal acts governing pharmaceutical activities and professional standards place high demands on the qualifications and work experience of managers of pharmacy organizations, which reasonably determines their readiness for managerial activities 44. Considering the specifics of professional activity and the increased demands of employers, special attention is paid to the optimal alignment of managerial functions required at various management levels.

Objective

To substantiate the management levels of heads of pharmacy organizations in accordance with the requirements of the regional retail pharmaceutical market (using the Yaroslavl Region as an example) to improve the effectiveness of training and selection of PO managers.

Tasks

Methodology

The research methodology included a systematic analysis of scientific publications on management theory; regulatory documents on personnel in the healthcare sector; the Consolidated License Register of the Federal Service for Surveillance in Healthcare for pharmaceutical activities; and information (SuperJob.ru, Headhunter, Rabota Rossii) on vacancies and employer requirements for candidates for managerial positions in pharmacy organizations for the year 2025 in all federal districts of the Russian Federation (RF), including the Yaroslavl Region (YR).

Data obtained from employer and recruitment agency websites were grouped by position, educational requirements for pharmaceutical workers, and length of service or work experience. The study of requirements for personal qualities, knowledge, skills, and work actions was based on our developed model of readiness for managerial activities among pharmaceutical workers (RMA PW) 4,54,5.

The analysis of the retail pharmaceutical market was conducted for the period from 2015 to 2025. The analysis criteria included the number, density of distribution, forms of ownership, and network affiliation of POs.

The study employed a complex of scientific methods including logical, structural, comparative, content analysis, and mathematical-statistical analysis.

The object of the study was the development process of the regional retail pharmaceutical market. The subject of the study was the interrelationship between the development of the retail pharmaceutical market and the formation of management levels for leading pharmacy organizations.

Results and discussion

As a result of synthesizing the principles of modern management theory, it was established that the main functions of managerial activity are planning, organizing, motivating, and controlling. It is known that the implementation of these functions is aimed at achieving the organization's goals through the effective use of both material and labor resources. Theoretically, management levels are distinguished -- top (strategic), middle (tactical), and lower (operational). It has been shown that the difference between levels lies in the functions performed by managers. The research indicated that at the top management level, higher demands are placed on strategic thinking, leadership qualities, and the ability to make complex decisions. Middle-level managers should possess developed organizational competence and experience in managing operational processes. The lower management level requires functional competence and practical skills in day-to-day management 66.

We analyzed the alignment of the main management functions and management levels with the regulatory requirements for heads of pharmacy organizations. In this regard, the main managerial functions of managers were compared with the labor functions enshrined in the professional standard "Specialist in the field of pharmaceutical management," as well as the nomenclature of positions for heads of pharmaceutical organizations 7,87,8. The results of the comparison are presented in Table 1.

Table 1. Characteristics of management levels of heads of pharmaceutical organizations

Management LevelsMain Functions of Managers according to Management TheoryLabor Functions according to the Professional StandardManagerial Positions according to Order 205nTop- Formulating goals- Developing long-term plans- Making strategic long-term decisions- Monitoring the execution of production tasks and resource utilization- Planning the activities of the pharmaceutical organization- Managing the financial and economic activities of the pharmaceutical organization- Organizing resource provision for the pharmaceutical organization- Organizing the work of personnel in the pharmaceutical organization- Managing the quality of current results of the pharmaceutical organization's activities- Organizing informational and consultative assistance for the population and medical professionalsDirector (Head, Chief) of a pharmacy organizationDeputy Director (Head, Chief) of a pharmacy organizationHead (Chief) of a structural unit (department) of a pharmacy organizationDeputy Head (Chief) of a structural unit (department) of a pharmacy organizationMiddle- Ensuring the implementation of policies developed by top management- Making decisions on specific operations, as well as tactical decisions- Responsibility for communicating tasks to structural units and for their execution^^Lower- Performing daily operations and actions necessary to ensure the effective work of the PO- Making short-term decisions- Monitoring the communication of specific tasks to direct executors^^Source: authors' development.

The data in Table 1 indicate that the professional standard presents the labor functions of a specialist in the field of pharmaceutical management without considering management levels in accordance with management theory. At the same time, the nomenclature of managerial positions for pharmacy organizations or their structural units is regulated uniformly for all presented levels. It should be noted that managers of POs at various management levels can perform and address issues of operational management, as well as make tactical and strategic decisions, and develop long-term development plans for the pharmacy organization they lead. Consequently, candidates for the position of head of a pharmacy organization, in addition to having a pharmaceutical education, must also be ready to carry out managerial activities.

To determine readiness for management, we developed the RMA PW model 44. This model represents a set of components, each containing specific characteristics. The personal-motivational component includes the personality qualities of the manager and motivation for managerial work 55; the theoretical component includes the knowledge necessary for leadership; the activity component includes the labor duties of a specialist in the field of pharmaceutical management. The formulated characteristics determine the structure of the components for effective management of a pharmacy organization.

In this regard, an analysis of employer requirements for candidates for managerial vacancies in pharmacy organizations was conducted in accordance with the three-component RMA PW model. We studied the online recruitment platform SuperJob.ru, the online recruiting platform in Russia HeadHunter, and the Unified Digital Platform in the field of employment and labor relations "Work in Russia" (UDP "Work in Russia") (Table 2).

Table 2. Vacancies for managerial positions in pharmacy organizations

VacancyNumber of Proposals     TOTAL HeadHunter SuperJob Work in Russia   YRRFYRRFYRRF Head of Pharmacy4234156073368Pharmacy Manager / Head of Pharmacy Group / Territorial Director0113015015143Total:4347171088511Source: authors' development.

As a result of the analysis, 511 vacancies were reviewed, of which 75.0% were for the position of head of a pharmacy. The largest number of offers, 69.7%, were published on the HeadHunter platform out of the total number of vacancies for managerial positions.

Based on the information presented on the recruitment agency websites, we identified, summarized, and mapped the requirements for candidates in accordance with the management levels and components of the RMA PW (Table 3).

Table 3. Requirements for candidates for managerial positions in pharmacy organizations

Employer Requirements  Personal-Motivational (Personality Qualities)Theoretical (Knowledge)Activity-based (Skills, Abilities, Job Duties)Top Management Level  *Territorial Director -- experience managing a group of pharmacies (50 or more) for at least 3 years; pharmaceutical education*  - Managerial skills- Analytical and proactive mindset- Successful team management experience- Results orientation- Knowledge of retail business processes- Knowledge of personal computers- Knowledge of 1C software- Managing a group of 200+ pharmacies- Developing strategy and network development plans; Timely and high-quality opening of new pharmacies in the assigned territory- Managing business processes- Ensuring efficient operation and achievement of KPIs by the pharmacy group in accordance with company plans- Monitoring task completionMiddle Management Level  Pharmacy Manager / Head of Pharmacy Group -- work experience as Head of Pharmacy / managing a group of pharmacies for at least one year; higher / secondary pharmaceutical education  - Readiness for change- Stress resistance- Mobility- Proactivity- Leadership- Goal orientation- Communication skills- Knowledge of regulatory legal acts- Knowledge of management and marketing fundamentals- Knowledge of personal computers- Processing information databases for tender procurement of medicines- Operational management of 3 or more pharmacies; Ensuring the achievement of priority indicators in the assigned unit- Managing pharmacy documentation flow- Organizing and monitoring pharmaceutical order in pharmacies- Handling claims to suppliers- Participating in personnel selection and adaptation- Training, mentoring, and motivating employees- Monitoring the fulfillment of financial indicatorsLower Management Level  *Head of Pharmacy -- work experience as Head of Pharmacy for at least 1 year; higher / secondary pharmaceutical education*  - Developed sales management skills- Responsibility- Attentiveness- Trainability/Learning ability- Knowledge of the range of medicinal products- Knowledge of personal computers- Ability to use the State Register of Medicines (GRLS) website and the register of prices for Vital and Essential Drugs (VED)- Achieving the unit's performance indicators- Maintaining pharmaceutical order and sanitary-hygienic regime- Working with the product range and pricing- Posting goods, monitoring the labeling of medicinal products (MDLP/Chestny ZNAK), conducting inventories- Training and motivating employees- Monitoring compliance with corporate standardsSource: authors' development.

Analysis of the data in Table 3 indicates that managers of pharmacy organizations are in demand in the modern pharmaceutical market of the Russian Federation. Employers offer managerial vacancies both for individual POs and for groups of POs numbering from three to two hundred. However, not all managerial positions correspond to the nomenclature of positions in the regulating legal acts.

It should be noted that regardless of the management level, candidates for a managerial position must have a higher or secondary pharmaceutical education. Importantly, in the context of digitalization of pharmaceutical activities, employers emphasize the need for candidates to possess digital skills necessary for working in new market conditions.

At the same time, for each management level, the personal and motivational characteristics of candidates are detailed, ranging from developed sales management skills to the presence of a high level of managerial skills; the necessary theoretical knowledge ranges from the range of medicines to managing business processes; the performance of job duties ranges from posting goods and monitoring digital labeling to opening new pharmacy organizations in assigned territories.

It was established that the requirements for candidates are related to the presence of personal-motivational characteristics and theoretical preparation necessary for the effective performance of functions corresponding to each management level. Thus, the requirements imposed by employers on PO managers cover all components of the RMA PW model, with distribution and differentiation of component characteristics according to classical management levels. Therefore, the modern pharmaceutical labor market establishes distinctions between management levels.

The development of managerial human resources potential and the identification of management levels are closely interconnected with the regional pharmaceutical market, as the management of pharmacy organizations must be adapted to the specificities and dynamics of the market 99.

In this regard, we characterized the retail pharmaceutical market of the Yaroslavl Region for the period from 2015 to 2025. According to the data from the Consolidated License Register of the Federal Service for Surveillance in Healthcare for pharmaceutical activities, the number of licenses for retail trade of medicinal products for medical use in the region was determined (Fig. 1).

Fig. 1. Number of pharmacy organizations in the Yaroslavl Region from 2015 to 2025

Source: authors' development.

Figure 1 shows that during the study period, the number of pharmacy organizations nearly doubled -- from 487 to 846 units. The largest number of POs operates in the city of Yaroslavl (65%). This steady growth indicates the expansion of the regional retail pharmaceutical market, which, in turn, affects the requirements for the managerial functions of PO heads.

Next, an analysis of the ownership forms of pharmacy organizations for the study period was conducted (Fig. 2).

Fig. 2. Analysis of ownership forms of pharmacy organizations

Source: authors' development.

When analyzing the forms of ownership of POs in the Yaroslavl Region, it was revealed that over the past 10 years, the number of privately owned POs increased to 94%, while the share of state-owned POs decreased 3.5 times to 6% (Fig. 2). It should be noted that the dynamics of the structure of pharmacy organizations in the Yaroslavl region reflect the all-Russian trend, characterized by a steady growth of the private sector and a decrease in state participation in the retail pharmaceutical segment 99.

The next stage of the pharmaceutical market research included an analysis of the network affiliation of POs in the Yaroslavl region for the period from 2015 to 2025. It was revealed that pharmacy chains (69%), united into 9 or more POs, predominate in the pharmaceutical market of the YR. At the same time, the number of small chains (from 2 to 9 POs) decreased by half (22%), and the number of single POs remained practically unchanged (9%). This also reflects the trend towards increased market concentration and consolidation in the Russian pharmaceutical market, manifested in the growing share of large pharmacy chains 1,101,10. It should be noted that managers of a single PO and a PO belonging to a pharmacy chain perform job functions that differ in content and occupy different management levels. Consequently, regional specificities and structural market changes influence the composition of managerial personnel in POs.

Thus, the study showed that regulatory legal documents regulate the labor functions of specialists in the field of pharmaceutical management and the nomenclature of positions for heads of pharmaceutical organizations, without considering management functions and management levels in accordance with management theory.

The study of employers' requirements for candidates for vacant PO manager positions allows us to align the expectations and real needs of the pharmaceutical market with the developed RMA PW model. As a result of this comparison, it is possible to identify the most sought-after personal characteristics and managerial competencies in managers, which is important for their professional development, as well as for the effective operation of the PO.

The characterization of the retail pharmaceutical market of the Yaroslavl Region for the period from 2015 to 2025 revealed an almost twofold increase in the number of POs, with the majority concentrated in the city of Yaroslavl and almost all being privately owned, with a predominance of large pharmacy chains united into 9 or more POs. Consequently, the retail pharmaceutical market demands PO managers with varying levels of managerial readiness, adapted to regional specificities.

Conclusion

The development of the retail pharmaceutical market demonstrates the need for a differentiated approach to the selection of managerial personnel depending on the management level. The research results confirm the validity of applying the RMA PW model for systematizing requirements for specialists in the field of pharmaceutical management. This contributes to identifying priority directions for optimizing training and professional development programs, oriented towards the tasks of each management level, with the aim of providing high-quality personalized medicinal care to the population in modern conditions.