Organization Within the Pharmaceutical Industry - a Survey

Abstract

A survey has been made of 12 U.S. and 5 U.K. companies in order to establish if there are any favored organizational structures in terms of pilot plant and related operations, production trouble shooting, clinical supplies manufacture and general engineering support services. Broad patterns of behavior become apparent in terms of the manner in which companies organize themselves to perform these functions. Communication, background and training of personnel and well-drawn lines of responsibility emerge as important factors in the efficient operation of the organizations surveyed.

This survey was undertaken in order to establish if there are any favored organizational structures in terms of pilot plant and related operations, production trouble shooting, clinical supplies manufacture, and general engineering support services. Senior Research and Development and Manufacturing personnel in 12 U.S. and 5 U.K. companies were contacted individually and asked to participate. The confidentiality of the survey was stressed and the questionnaire was designed to preserve anonynymity. Without exception, everyone who was contacted agreed to complete the questionnaire. In actuality, while responses were received from all 17 companies, only 28 of the 34 individuals to whom questionnaires were sent eventually completed and returned the survey. In the U.S. 11 responses came from R&D - mainly Directors of Product Development. Ten replies were received from their counterparts in Production. Four of the 7 U.K. responses were from Directors or Heads of Pharmacy R&D, 2 were from Directors of Manufacturing and 1 was a joint submission from both areas.