CAREER OPPORTUNITIES / JOBS AFTER PHARMACY ( B. PHARM., M. PHARM., PHD / PHARM D. )

 

There are many career opportunities available for Pharmacy students. Some of them are discussed below:

1. Entrepreneur

a) Pharmacy Practice: B. Pharm. graduates can start their own Retail Pharmacy, Wholesale Pharmacy, Hospital Pharmacy or Community Pharmacy by undergoing training during the B. Pharm. Course and then gain some experience by working in similar facilities for a fixed period to understand the nitty- gritty of the entrepreneurial avenue.

b) Manufacturing Facility: Manufacture of a medicine involves many stages from chemical synthesis of the drug substance through production of the dosage form, quality control, packaging and distribution.

c) Consultancy: Pharmacists can start their own consultancy firm and contribute to research, and their expertise in formulation development is of particular relevance to the biological availability of active ingredients. The Pharma-consultants can Provide Regulatory Services for Dossiers / DMF / CTDs-ACTD / ANDA / Validations / cGMP / GLP / PSUR / BA-BE Studies.

Few themes for entrepreneurship:

• New drug molecule / Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) / New Chemical Entity (NCE)
• Production of raw materials (excipients and other ingredients)
• Manufacturing and Production of new formulations
• Preparation of Biologicals
• Sub-Contracting for Manufacturing
• Sub-contracting for R&D – similar to CRO concept
• E-commerce – few students should definitely try it in the Pharmaceutical/Healthcare Industry as well (very few ventures in the market so far). 

2. In Private and Government Hospitals as Pharmacist: 

Hospital Pharmacists: They perform a range of functions – from procuring medicines to medicine storage and management in hospitals to disbursing them to customers. A Diploma in Pharmacy may lead you to this job, but in the government sector and corporate hospitals, only pharmacy graduates get hired. Career growth in this field is limited though.

 3. In Pharmaceutical Industry

 a)      In Production as Production Chemist:

Production is the basic activity of all industrial units. All other activities revolve around this activity. A Production Executive oversees and directs production operations for a manufacturing organization. They lead production operations, coordinate production staff and equipment, and ensure the quality and profitability of products.

b) In Quality Control Laboratories or Quality Assurance or Regulatory Departments: Quality Control is one of the key departments in any Pharma company. After R&D large number of people works in the QC department. Quality assurance is a good practice in the manufacture of pharmaceutical products, as it is the process of vouching for integrity of products to meet the standard for the proposed use. It is an obligation that ensures manufacturers meet the needs of end-user needs in terms of safety, quality, efficacy, strength, reliability and durability. Regulatory affairs is a comparatively new profession which developed from the desire of governments to protect public health by controlling the safety and efficacy of products in areas including pharmaceuticals. A regulatory professional is responsible for keeping track of the ever-changing legislation in all the regions in which a company wishes to distribute its products, advice on the legal and scientific restraints and requirements, and collect, collate and evaluate scientific data.

Graduates who have an aptitude for pharmaceutical analysis and handle sophisticated instruments may go for this job. QC or QA chemists check and maintain the quality of medicines and pharmaceutical products during and at the end of the manufacturing process, and ensure that they comply with the standards specified in National or other approved pharmacopoeias. Private and independent drug testing laboratories employ QC chemists too.

c) In R &D: One of the most sought-after jobs in research laboratories and manufacturing industry, research analysts are involved in drug innovation. They are the ones to develop new drugs or improve existing drugs. One needs at least an M. Pharma or higher degree to apply for this job.

  

4. Intellectual Property Rights (IPR)

Intellectual property rights (IPRs) is a prerequisite for pharma companies for identification, planning, commercialization, and protection of invention. This is currently a growing field that protects creations of the human mind.  Pharma graduates who have completed IPR courses are endowed with a wide range of employment opportunities as Patent analysts, Patent Engineers or agents, Patent / IP consultants/ Advisor, Patent Docketing Officer, Licensing & Valuation experts, Patent prosecutors, portfolio managers etc.

a) Patent Analyst: B. Pharm graduates can apply for job of patent analyst. Job profile of a patent analyst is to read the patent application of new invention being made by client, understand the invention and search prior art references of particular invention. Starting salary is 5 to 6 lakhs per annum.

b) Patent Docketing Officer: Multinational companies like Pfizer, Sun pharma, Zydus cadila, Intas, Glaxo Smith Kline etc. outsource their process of handling patent portfolio to legal process outsourcing (LPO) companies like Law Scribe Inc, United Lex, Quis Lex, Mindcrest, Integreon, CPA Global, Pangea 3, in India. So Docketing officer employed in India helps such companies to complete the government compliance of United States Patent and Trademark Office in filing patent application. They need to coordinate between Patent Office and company staff so as to allow easy flow of appropriate information.

c) IP Attorney: Students with expertise in IPR can apply in law firms and work in cases of copyright, trademark and patent infringement cases. Due to cut throat competition, every new brands and new products are entering into market. So there is increase demand of lawyers who can help get brand registration and fight lawsuits against piracy.

d) IP Proofreading: B Pharm graduates with expertise in IPR can be employed as IPR Proofreader. Whose main work is to read published patent applications and check for errors in patent application.

 

5. In Clinical Research

Clinical Research is a booming Industry for research in worldwide. Few of the avenues are available in contract research associate, Medical writer, Data management and Pharmacovigilance. Contract Research Associate

Clinical research associates (CRA) are responsible for assisting in the clinical research process, providing advanced technical expertise in steps such as handling supplies, ordering tests, and collecting results, presenting specific research information to the public, and a variety of administrative tasks. 

 

6. Sales and Marketing:

Students with pleasant personality and good communication skills can opt for the job of Medical Sales Representative. The companies prefer pharmacy graduates for this job, as they have a good knowledge about the drug molecules, their therapeutic effects and the drug – drug interactions. The number of jobs available in the sales function is plenty.

Areas

·         Marketing Management

·         Product Management

·         Medical Representative

·         Area Manager

·         Regional Manager

 

7. Government Sector

 

Pharmacy education can open up job avenues for students in the government sector. Drug inspectors or government analysts are needed to make sure that drugs that are manufactured and sold are of standard quality. Appointments are also made for pharmacists who can maintain proper records of all the related activities, as per the specifications.

 

a) Government Analyst: In government laboratories, pharmacy graduates test samples from manufacturing units or retail drug stores as analysts. For this, they need to undergo training on testing of drugs in approved laboratories first.

 

b)  Drug Inspector: Pharmaceutical graduates can become drug inspectors by clearing the Public Service Commission test. As a drug inspector, they monitor the safety, efficacy, and quality of medicines everywhere – right from manufacturing units to the selling points. In the long term, drug inspectors can aspire to become Drug Controller one day.

 

8. Higher studies in abroad

Pharmacy graduates of India may consider higher studies outside India to make their career even more glorious. One can enroll for master as well as Ph.D. in desired field of studies after obtaining Graduate Degree of Pharmacy in India. Detailed Information regarding admission to pharmacy colleges in different countries are easily available on their respective websites. At the time of admission in foreign countries colleges look forward for qualifications in the following exams;

·   Graduate Record Exam (GRE)

 • Test of English as a Foreign Language

 • International English Language Testing System

 

9. In Academic

M. Pharm graduates are the ideal candidates to get Lecturer / Assistant professor roles. But, Pharm. D candidates are also eligible for lecturer jobs. Clearing GPAT, NET, SLET will be of great advantage. Almost every state in India has got decent number of Pharmacy colleges. Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala have got the Pharmacy Colleges in the range of 60 – 200.

B. Pharm graduates can also get Lecturer jobs in D. Pharm colleges. In the academia you will also have the opportunity to be involved in research as well, though not all the colleges will have the quality research scope.

The starting salary is also handsome. Job could be quite relaxing with lot of benefits like housing and/or numerous holidays. After experience, you can become Associate professor, Professor / Principal of the college.

 

10.  Opportunities for Pharm. D. students

i) In India

Community Pharmacy is one of the core career opportunities, and will be most suited to PharmD graduates. The role involves counselling patients, advising them on dosage and intake for taking the medicines. This is a very critical role and demands considerable knowledge and skills.

However, in India the concept is very much unknown due to several reasons. The Government, PCI and other authorities (like Indian Pharmaceutical Association) are taking steps. However, it will take time.

The vacancies for Pharmacist in Hospitals, Railways, Armed Forces are there, but they are too few to accommodate even 10% (the figure could be even less than that) of Pharmacy graduates that pass out annually.

 

ii) Abroad

Higher Studies Abroad: You can go for Masters in Public Health or Masters in Health Management in countries where the community pharmacy is in huge demand (USA, Canada, Australia, UK etc.). In the US, the number of shortages of healthcare professionals is supposed to be 250,000 by 2020. So, US will definitely be a country to look up to.

Do refer to the Best Universities for Public Health by Kristen Fescoe and S. News; and the Best Universities for Healthcare Management – Top 20 Master’s Program and Best Universities.

Scoring 298+ in GRE and 6.5 in IELTS (or 90 in TOEFL) can definitely give you good chances to take up admission in good universities, if not at the Top 20. With a Master’s Degree in Public Health, you can end up as Healthcare Consultant, Healthcare Policy-Maker, Nutritionist, Food Safety Inspector, Medical Officer, Health Educator, Clinical Researcher etc.

The salary would be in the range of USD $40,000 and USD $120,000 annually after one year of experience.

Registered or Licensed Pharmacist (Pharmacy Jobs) Abroad: This is not that easy, but opportunities are there. Countries like Canada, US, UK, Australia do allow international pharmacy graduates to take up jobs as community pharmacists in their countries. Check out the details for Canada, US, UK, Australia