Recruiters of pharmaceutical staff are finding it difficult to fill positions due to a lack of trained staff, and because human resource departments fail to understand the technicalities of the business, according to a survey.

Blue Pelican Group, which set up a specialist pharmaceutical division three years ago, says the outlook is worsening.

Its survey found that 36% of recruitment companies now find it difficult to meet with the line managers who are recruiting. The fact that only around 50% of HR professionals in pharmaceutical companies have a scientific background adds to the problem. Of those questioned, 57% reported that skilled candidates are being rejected without adequate feedback.

Oliver Leger, executive search consultant at Blue Pelican, said: "The current market is already experiencing an exodus of highly skilled candidates. Pharmaceutical firms are not investing enough in training programmes; very few visit universities to see graduates; and, for those who are tempted, there are few openings for them because of lack of training."

He told Recruiter the problem was across the board, affecting every kind of pharmaceutical role. He added: "Overseas companies are quicker to make a decision. I've lost three or four candidates to overseas firms recently."

Blue Pelican says salaries in the sector are "spiralling".

The survey interviewed 15 UK recruitment firms - including Clinical Professionals, Pharma People, Levy Associates, Seltek, Reed Scientific and Northpoint.

A spokesman for drugs giant AstraZeneca said: "We don't agree with all the findings of the survey. It's true there's some skills shortages, especially for professionals working in the early stages of product development. But we've found that HR departments often speed things up, being innovative in the search for candidates."

The UK-based pharmaceutical industry employs around 65,000 people, according to the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry.