Ethical Leadership Practices Among Pharmacists in Türkiye: A Regional Study

Abstract

Ethical leadership in community pharmacies is crucial for maintaining high standards of patient care and operational effectiveness. This study investigated the adoption of ethical leadership principles among pharmacists in Türkiye and their impact on pharmacy operations. A structured questionnaire, consisting of five Likert-type statements related to pharmacists' skills and practices, was administered to a randomly selected sample of 97 community pharmacists across various regions. The data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics 22.0. The findings revealed a significant correlation between awareness of ethical leadership and the size of pharmacy teams, with pharmacists managing larger teams scoring higher on ethical leadership assessments. Additionally, those with formal ethical leadership training demonstrated notably higher scores, highlighting the importance of incorporating ethical leadership education into pharmacy curricula and ongoing professional development. Interestingly, less experienced pharmacists reported greater awareness of ethical leadership, indicating a potential gap in training for more seasoned professionals. Demographic analysis showed variations in ethical leadership practices based on pharmacy location, with neighborhood pharmacies scoring higher than those near healthcare facilities. This study underscores the need for targeted interventions to enhance ethical leadership and foster patient trust, satisfaction, and a cohesive work environment in diverse pharmacy settings.

Keywords

• Ethical leadership
• Leadership
• Pharmacist
• Community pharmacist
• Ethics

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