National-, institutional-, and individual-level determinants of pharmacology and pharmacy research excellence: an analysis of stanford–elsevier lists of the top 2% scholars (2017–2023)

Research excellence in pharmacology and pharmacy remains insufficiently studied compared with broader analyses of productivity, despite its centrality to advancing drug discovery and health outcomes. This study investigated the multilevel determinants of pharmacology and pharmacy research excellence, defined by membership in the Stanford-Elsevier Top 2% Scientists Lists (SEL). We analyzed 56,358 records in SELs between 2017 and 2023 using a multilevel socio-ecological model. Independent variables spanned national determinants (e.g., health system capacity, human development, gender inequality, R&D investment), institutional factors (global and field-specific rankings), and individual characteristics (gender and academic age). Core bibliometric outcomes included citation counts excluding self-citations, modified H-index, and composite scores. Excellence was disproportionately concentrated in high-income countries and a limited number of elite institutions, although contributions from middle-income countries expanded over time. National R&D investment, Universal Health Coverage, and Human Development Index values consistently predicted higher bibliometric outcomes, while gender inequality was negatively associated with excellence. Disease burdens mirrored these inequities: conditions common in high-income settings (e.g., cancers, COPD) correlated positively with excellence, whereas major global burdens (e.g., HIV/AIDS, diabetes) correlated negatively. Institutional concentration illustrated the Matthew effect, with the top 20 institutions accounting for over one-tenth of global excellence. At the individual level, female scholars remained underrepresented (16.8% in career-long, 25.0% in single-year lists) and showed lower bibliometric performance and younger academic ages than men. Academic age emerged as the strongest positive predictor of research impact, with consistent gains across both datasets. Pharmacology and pharmacy research excellence is conditioned by systemic disparities in resources, prestige, and representation. Policy interventions must target these entrenched capacity-based advantages by strengthening research capacity in underrepresented countries and institutions and implementing frameworks for gender-equitable career progression.