Leadership Development in Pharmacy Students: A Literature Review

Background: A deeper understanding of leadership competencies and development of these competencies in pharmacy students are essential to enable future pharmacists to take a more advanced role in patient care and serve as interdisciplinary team members and leaders. Such efforts are also needed to help guide succession planning. Objective: To identify and describe the competencies and experiences involved in leadership development for pharmacy students. Data Sources: A literature review was conducted using the MEDLINE, PubMed, and Google Scholar databases (from inception to November 2023), as well as syllabi from pharmacy leadership courses. Study Selection and Data Extraction: Articles discussing leadership competencies in a health care setting and during pharmacy education and training were included. Competencies and experiences related to leadership development were extracted and organized into categories, with each category given a single descriptor. Data Synthesis: A total of 34 resources were included in the analysis, which revealed the following 7 leadership competencies: leadership knowledge, self-awareness, collaboration, leading change, business skills, systems thinking, and lifelong learning. Conclusions: Pharmacy students can develop their leadership abilities through a variety of experiences and activities aligned with the core leadership competencies identified here. Pharmacy schools in Canada can design and offer leadership placements to help enhance students' leadership skills. This study has highlighted activities that may help prepare pharmacy students for leadership roles in the changing landscape of pharmacy practice.