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When I just started pharmacy school, I thought all a pharmacist could do in the industry was do research or sales. Since then, I learned that there is literally no limit to the positions a pharmacist could hold within pharmaceutical industry, though most of them have little to nothing to do with being a pharmacist.
I am currently employed in market research. Through the course of my career, I collaborated with almost every department within the company, I know what almost every function does, particularly marketing, market research, clinical development, medical affairs, regulatory affairs, business development and business and competitive intelligence, and have worked in some of those positions as well.
1. What do you enjoy most about your specialty?
To me, being a pharmacist in the industry is like being a kid in a candy store - there are so many opportunities, it is hard to settle on just one. A Pharm.D. can work in clinical research, pharmacovigilance, marketing, new business development, sales, global communications - and the list goes on and on. The good news is, you can change your job function every two-four years until you find something you really enjoy and want to do for the rest of your career. Many companies encourage employees to float from function to function and from department to department. Well, at least the ones that care about you, do.
As far as my actual position... I love the fact that I am in the middle of all things - I get to collaborate with every department, and contribute in a meaningful way to strategic decisions being made. This is an incredibly satisfying feeling - when you analysis becomes the basis for a great discussion, which then leads to a multi-million dollar decision being made. And I love the opportunity to talk to all different kinds of people, which is something I enjoy the most, professionally and personally.
In addition, there are good things to be said for being in a corporate office environment versus on the front lines of pharmacy. I get to sit down for most of my day, and I get to eat a normal lunch. And there are no disgruntled customers ruining your day.
2. Is there anything you dislike about your specialty?
As far as being a pharmacist in the industry... maybe the fact that you may feel like you don't need a PharmD to do what you do. When I first switched to industry, I missed patient contact - that's one of the reasons I still work retail a couple times a month.
For me personally, the biggest frustration comes from feeling that your work comes to nothing because decisions are already made at the top before you even had something to say. That is why choosing the right company/the right position is so important. Also, the downside is that work follows you home, I have been up at 2am working, occasionally... after leaving work at 9pm and going back to work at 7am the next morning.
3. How many years of post-graduate training does your specialty require?
To get into a desired job function right away - a one or two-year fellowship (if available in that area). Otherwise, 3-5 years of job experience are sufficient to at least get the foot in the door. Certain areas - such as sales, pharmacovigilance, some quality assurance positions - will take pharmacists right out of school. From there, it is generally easy to move on to another function. Fellowship is probably the surest and the shortest way to get where you want to be. An MBA or a Bachelor's degree in business may be helpful, depending on a specialty, but is not a prerequisite. It also helps if you have rotated within the company during your senior clerkships, or did a summer internship there. For some positions on the medical side, a residency, especially a specialty residency, can be very helpful.
4. What is a typical schedule like for your specialty? Are the hours/shifts flexible?
It is usually 8-5 or 9-6. No nights or weekends, though depending on the role, occasional late evenings can occur - but it is usually up to you. Most companies allow working from home for a couple days a week, depending on the job function. Many companies also allow flexible hours with certain core hours when employee should be present (such as 10am-3pm, while start of the day can be anywhere between 6 and 10 am, and the end between 3 and 7 pm). But the downside is that being an overtime-exempt corporate employee, in some busy periods you can be at work 8am to 8pm and spend half you weekend working from home.
5. Where do you see your specialty going in five years?
With all the globalization of industry, mergers, restructuring, changing legislation, increased number of generics and accompanying patent litigations, and increased pressure from government and third-party payors, it's certainly a very interesting time to work within pharmaceutical industry. There will always be a place there for pharmacists, though.
I will be happy to answer any questions about
- what roles pharmacists can perform within a pharmaceutical company
- what fellowships/training programs are available (some of them are not advertised anywhere, and I only learned of them through e-mails from colleagues and professional organizations)
- what are prerequisites for an industry fellowship and how does one prepare/apply for one
- and anything else industry-related (assuming it is not proprietary information)
I am currently employed in market research. Through the course of my career, I collaborated with almost every department within the company, I know what almost every function does, particularly marketing, market research, clinical development, medical affairs, regulatory affairs, business development and business and competitive intelligence, and have worked in some of those positions as well.
1. What do you enjoy most about your specialty?
To me, being a pharmacist in the industry is like being a kid in a candy store - there are so many opportunities, it is hard to settle on just one. A Pharm.D. can work in clinical research, pharmacovigilance, marketing, new business development, sales, global communications - and the list goes on and on. The good news is, you can change your job function every two-four years until you find something you really enjoy and want to do for the rest of your career. Many companies encourage employees to float from function to function and from department to department. Well, at least the ones that care about you, do.
As far as my actual position... I love the fact that I am in the middle of all things - I get to collaborate with every department, and contribute in a meaningful way to strategic decisions being made. This is an incredibly satisfying feeling - when you analysis becomes the basis for a great discussion, which then leads to a multi-million dollar decision being made. And I love the opportunity to talk to all different kinds of people, which is something I enjoy the most, professionally and personally.
In addition, there are good things to be said for being in a corporate office environment versus on the front lines of pharmacy. I get to sit down for most of my day, and I get to eat a normal lunch. And there are no disgruntled customers ruining your day.
2. Is there anything you dislike about your specialty?
As far as being a pharmacist in the industry... maybe the fact that you may feel like you don't need a PharmD to do what you do. When I first switched to industry, I missed patient contact - that's one of the reasons I still work retail a couple times a month.
For me personally, the biggest frustration comes from feeling that your work comes to nothing because decisions are already made at the top before you even had something to say. That is why choosing the right company/the right position is so important. Also, the downside is that work follows you home, I have been up at 2am working, occasionally... after leaving work at 9pm and going back to work at 7am the next morning.
3. How many years of post-graduate training does your specialty require?
To get into a desired job function right away - a one or two-year fellowship (if available in that area). Otherwise, 3-5 years of job experience are sufficient to at least get the foot in the door. Certain areas - such as sales, pharmacovigilance, some quality assurance positions - will take pharmacists right out of school. From there, it is generally easy to move on to another function. Fellowship is probably the surest and the shortest way to get where you want to be. An MBA or a Bachelor's degree in business may be helpful, depending on a specialty, but is not a prerequisite. It also helps if you have rotated within the company during your senior clerkships, or did a summer internship there. For some positions on the medical side, a residency, especially a specialty residency, can be very helpful.
4. What is a typical schedule like for your specialty? Are the hours/shifts flexible?
It is usually 8-5 or 9-6. No nights or weekends, though depending on the role, occasional late evenings can occur - but it is usually up to you. Most companies allow working from home for a couple days a week, depending on the job function. Many companies also allow flexible hours with certain core hours when employee should be present (such as 10am-3pm, while start of the day can be anywhere between 6 and 10 am, and the end between 3 and 7 pm). But the downside is that being an overtime-exempt corporate employee, in some busy periods you can be at work 8am to 8pm and spend half you weekend working from home.
5. Where do you see your specialty going in five years?
With all the globalization of industry, mergers, restructuring, changing legislation, increased number of generics and accompanying patent litigations, and increased pressure from government and third-party payors, it's certainly a very interesting time to work within pharmaceutical industry. There will always be a place there for pharmacists, though.
I will be happy to answer any questions about
- what roles pharmacists can perform within a pharmaceutical company
- what fellowships/training programs are available (some of them are not advertised anywhere, and I only learned of them through e-mails from colleagues and professional organizations)
- what are prerequisites for an industry fellowship and how does one prepare/apply for one
- and anything else industry-related (assuming it is not proprietary information)
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