SIAPS Program Director’s Blog: Strengthening the Leadership and Management of Pharmaceutical Services in South Africa

In South Africa, the USAID funded SIAPS Program has provided technical assistance in leadership and management to improve the pharmaceutical sector. Through close collaboration with the government of South Africa, SIAPS adapted MSH’s Virtual Leadership Development Program (VLDP), creating the Pharmaceutical Leadership Development Program (PLDP). The PLDP combines technical pharmaceutical knowledge with training in leading and managing practices to better equip pharmacy managers to respond to challenges in their work environment and improve service delivery. SIAPS in South Africa is part of a large body of work supported by MSH to build capacity in LMICs to improve health services.

As you will read in this technical brief, the PLDP brings together pharmacists and other healthcare professionals to strengthen leadership and management skills, while enabling them to analyze persistent challenges they face in their health facility or in the district they serve. As participants confront service delivery, compliance, and management challenges, facilitators provide supportive coaching to assist them in implementing action plans to provide better pharmaceutical services.

One of the key lessons from the implementation of the PLDP is the importance of stakeholders assuming ownership for the introduction and roll-out of any system strengthening intervention through the development and nurturing of internal change champions.  As part of a special SIAPS technical series the technical brief Strengthening the Leadership and Management of Pharmaceutical Services in South Africa offers a unique and in depth look at what was implemented, why, and how to build a responsive and resilient pharmaceutical sector in South Africa.

View the technical brief here

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Francis Aboagye-Nyame

SIAPS, Program Director

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