麻豆社

Pharmacy

Two scientists in a lab, one the background and the one in the foreground adding material to a petri dish.

About 4% of pharmacists working in the UK are employed by the pharmaceutical industry. Although the number is relatively small, they have a vital role in the complex processes of developing and supplying medicines to the market.

Pharmacists work听in multidisciplinary project teams with other scientists and help steer the team towards compounds which have the best chance of being well absorbed and easy to produce in a suitable dosage form for eventual marketing.鈥�

Training

To work as a pharmacist in the pharmaceutical industry, you鈥檒l need to complete a minimum of a year鈥檚 pre-registration training, after gaining your pharmacy degree. Half of this training may be obtained in industry, with the other six months spent in a hospital or community pharmacy. This programme is approved by the General Pharmaceutical Council听and is designed to fully prepare a person for working in the profession.

During this time you will acquire knowledge that鈥檚 common across these different sectors 鈥� such as communication and team skills, and professional responsibility 鈥� as well as specific areas of expertise. For example, learning about the provision of patient services and drug information in hospitals will bolster your understanding of some of the problems of patient care. This could benefit your career in industry just as much as more directly relevant elements of the programme 鈥� like applicability of the Medicines Act and regulatory requirements.

Recruitment

Most companies recruit early in the autumn preceding graduation. Interviews tend to take place either on campus or at a company鈥檚 site. As well as applying to the pharmaceutical companies individually, you may also need to contact the hospital or community pharmacy involved in a joint scheme with industry. This information should be available from the industrial placement you wish to apply to. It鈥檚 recommended that you contact the companies you鈥檙e thinking of applying to during the summer vacation before your final year.

Some companies also offer summer placements, again early application is advisable.

Opportunities

The pharmacist鈥檚 training is relevant in many areas in the research and development of new medicines. For pharmacists who have specialised in areas such as medicinal chemistry, pharmacology and toxicology, there may be openings in basic scientific research. In the pharmacy department this will include determining the stability of the chemical compounds to light, heat and moisture, making sure that a compound selected for development would have a long enough shelf life to be viable as a medicine.

Areas pharmacists can work in include:

Close up the hands of a scientist examining a set of vials

title-strip icon Pharmacists in research and development

Pharmacists provide an invaluable interface in this process by liaising with scientists and clinicians across the development arena.

 Masked scientist in a lab stands in front of a computer, while they check a large batch of vials

title-strip icon Pharmacists in production

In a manufacturing environment a pharmacist would initially supervise one or more units (such as packaging or tablet manufacturing).

 Four office workers drawing on sheets stuck on the wall

title-strip icon Pharmacists in medical information

Provision of information, whether medical or scientific, is an important link between the manufacturer and the prescribers and suppliers of medication, and indeed the patient.

 Two office workers are in seated in an office, behind them, through the windows, we look down onto the street

title-strip icon Pharmacists in regulatory affairs

By virtue of their training, the pharmacist is well qualified to deal with a wide range of activities.
Two office workers chatting happily over a table

title-strip icon Other roles for pharmacists

The pharmacist can also become involved in other roles within manufacturing, sales and marketing, and patenting.