Pharmaceuticals Careers
It is only during the past 50 years that the modern medicines we rely on today have been discovered and developed. In the years since penicillin was discovered in 1940, the pharmaceutical industry, which discovers and develops new medicines, has become one of the world’s biggest and most dynamic industries – taking in the diverse skills and efforts of many people in what is perhaps one of the most important endeavours facing mankind – the battle against disease. A graduate career in pharmaceutical research offers the opportunity to help save and transform lives and work in the most cutting edge and rewarding fields of science.
There is a wide range of opportunities in the pharmaceutical industry for all kinds of graduates. On the science side, there is a huge need for talented graduates from the initial discovery of new chemical entities, through developing how they might practically be used, to controlling their manufacture. There are careers available for graduates with general (e.g. biology, physiology), specialised (e.g. neuroscience, pharmacology) and professional (e.g. pharmacist) qualifications
Drug discovery is a wide area, and roles include combinatorial chemists (who synthesise hundreds of new compounds at a time), computational chemists (who help others to understand how a compound interacts with the disease ‘target’ in the body), bio-informaticians or molecular technologists/biologists and protein engineers (who all work in isolating the target). The opportunity to specialise is huge.
When a new compound for treatment of a disease has been discovered, there’s still a long way to go before it’s ready to be launched. In fact, the development process will normally take around 10 years. The aim at this stage, from discovery through to large-scale manufacture, is to make sure that the quality and efficacy of the medicine is as high as possible and that it’s as safe as possible for use by humans.
A large project team is involved which includes people from a range of disciplines. Analytical chemists, medicinal chemists, biochemists, molecular biologists, production chemists, formulation chemists, clinicians, pharmacists, pharmacologists, pathologists, toxicologists, quality controllers, quality assurers, IT specialists and many others all play a major role.
In manufacturing, chemists and chemical engineers use their skills to improve the yield of the active compound. Along with general engineers, they will also commission and validate new equipment and processes, and troubleshoot delays in all areas of production too. Pharmaceutical scientists and pharmacists constantly improve the processing and quality of products. And to safeguard the quality and efficacy of the medicines being produced (quality control), teams of analytical chemists, microbiologists, environmental scientists and safety experts work closely with manufacturing plants to see that every medicine that’s produced is of the highest standard possible.
Opportunities are available at first degree, MSc and PhD level. The widest variety of jobs available are at graduate level with fewer but more specialised and investigative careers for PhD. Starting salaries for graduates are typically around £20-22,000, for MSc £25,000 and for those joining at PhD level £28-30,000.
As for any scientist, pharmaceutical researchers must be diligent, hardworking and methodical. But the need for flexibility is important – new knowledge and changes in company research areas may mean switching into new areas. Pharmaceutical research is a group effort, good team-working and presentation skills are vital. The very best and most successful pharmaceutical scientists are those who are able to turn their bioscience knowledge into original and creative solutions.
Sound academic knowledge from a relevant degree and practical laboratory experience are vital. Many graduates do not have enough laboratory experience and technical expertise. Work experience or summer placement within a pharmaceutical/ industrial laboratory is highly recommended to improve a CV, to find out whether pharmaceutical research is the right career for you - and is often a direct way in for the first job.
For more information on graduate careers in pharmaceutical research and links to employers go to: www.abpi-careers.org.uk
Sarah Jones, Head of Education
Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI)
