Introduction
Pharmacy has always been an emerging field that constantly creates jobs. The pharmacy field is facing a huge challenge to find skilled professionals. The demand is always higher for the skilled pharmacy students in the pharmacy sector. There are certain important roles available in the pharmacy field and we will discuss some of them in this article.
1. Pharma Chemist
Job Role of a Pharma Chemist
The Pharma Chemist, one will play a vital role in the process of drug discovery and inventions. The Pharma Chemist is responsible to develop new and effective medicines and treatments for a number of diseases affecting mankind. The Pharma Chemist uses a series of pharmaceutical techniques to develop new pharmaceutically active molecules that have the capability to combat a particular disease or condition.
Responsibilities of Pharma Chemist
The Pharma Chemist is needed to:
- Plan and carry out lab experiments to create and develop target molecules in various drugs
- Ensure to maintain health and safety guidelines while working with potentially toxic chemicals
- Study the data analysis and assess the results of experiments for the characteristics of drugs that are discovered
- Ensure that purity of the products is maintained accurately
- Prepare detailed reports of the trials & experiments conducted
- Work closely with other scientific colleagues across different areas of expertise
- Recommend measures required to scale up production of new drugs
- Generate reports and deliver presentations about the work for colleagues, partners and clients
- Attend and contribute to internal and external project meetings
- Keep up to date with latest developments in the field of pharmacy
2. Pharmacologist
As a pharmacologist one is expected to have an in-depth knowledge of effects of drugs on the human body. Pharmacologists should be able to analyse the effects of the new drugs on a particular condition and try to figure out the challenges faced during drug administration to the patients.
Role
The Pharmacologist investigates the behaviour and interaction of drugs on biological systems. Pharmacologists are responsible to carry out in-vitro research or in vivo research to predict the effects of certain drugs on the human body.
Responsibilities of a Pharmacologist
As a pharmacologist one is needed to:
- Design, plan and take up controlled experiments and extensive clinical trials to understand the drug’s behaviour
- Use computers, high technology measuring systems along with other sophisticated equipment to collect, analyse and interpret data
- Use the successful methods of research methodologies in a variety of applications
- Prepare detailed proposals and recommendations for future developmental tests
- Organise and supervise the tests of new drugs and medicines
- Ensure quality control and try to secure approval from respective authorities for the drugs developed
- Coordinate with regulatory authorities to ensure compliance with local, national and international regulations
- Discuss and supervise the duties of other technical staff and train mentor early-career pharmaceuticals
3. Process Development Scientist
The Process Development Scientist is always concerned about improving the efficiency and profitability of the manufactured medicines. They are expected to manage the profit margins and production challenges of certain drugs that are regularly used by the patients for a specific condition.
Role
The main aim of the Process Development Scientist is to optimise the performance of manufacturing systems for increased production of the drugs. The Process Development Scientists are responsible to identify and develop new processes for product manufacturing that has better efficiency and is cost effective. They are also responsible to implement the process control mechanisms and ensure that high quality products are produced and accurately replicated accordingly.
Responsibilities of Process Development Scientist
As a Process Development Scientist, one is needed to:
- Recommend new processes or refine existing ones and optimise the manufacturing processes
- Carry out process trials in laboratories, pilot production units or factories
- Try to increase the production process via plant trails and making changes to raw materials or components and process parameters
- Ensure the highest quality levels are maintained in large scale production
- Improve efficiency by reducing costs and use sophisticated machinery for addressing the challenges faced in bottleneck areas
- Device test methods to assess the production process
- Validate new processes and ensure that the quality is not compromised
- Work with product pipelines at various stages of development
- Develop formulas, specifications and label declarations and ensure compliance with the finished product specifications
- Prepare technical reports and specifications for the products
- Initiate and generate ideas based on reading and research
4. Drug Research Associate
The Drug Research Associates are the professionals who are expected to engage themselves in different field trials for testing drugs. They are responsible to identify the specific location and ensure that all the infrastructure is available for conducting Drug Trials for a newly developed drug for a specific condition.
Role of a Drug Research Associate
The Drug Research Associates are responsible to run clinical trials to test drugs. The Drug Research Associates use the trial data to evaluate effectiveness, risks and benefits of the drugs on the trial subjects. The Drug Research Associates are expected to work on both new and existing drugs. They usually work in tandem with the research and development team of pharmaceutical companies and the management.
Responsibilities of a Drug Research Associate
As a Drug Research Associate, one is responsible to:
- Plan and implement the drug trial protocols for newly developed drugs
- Give detailed explanation of the trail protocols to the steering committee and get approvals
- Create and develop data collection forms for gathering results from clinical drug trials
- Coordinate with the ethics committee and ensure that subjects exposed to drug trials are safe and healthy
- Manage regulatory authority applications and approvals that oversee the research and marketing of new and existing drugs
- Identify and assess the suitability of facilities to use as the clinical trial location
- Coordinate with doctors, consultants or investigators on conducting the trials and trial location
- Setup trial sites and ensure that all the trial materials are available
- Prepare the reports about the trials and explain the intricacies of trails to the authorities
Salary and Emoluments
As a Pharm D (Post Baccalaureate) one will earn a decent salary in the industry. The fresh Pharm D (Post Baccalaureate) will be earning around 6 to 8 lakhs per annum. The salary varies according to the experience and skills gained by the pharmacy professionals. The experienced professionals will be earning around 10 lakhs to 15 lakhs per annum. The salary also varies according to the recruiter and location.
Final Words
The demand for Pharmacy students has increased day by day. The new inventions and discoveries in the field of medicine and technology, has resulted in growth of the pharmacy industry. The increased number of patients is acting as a ‘blessing in disguise’ for pharmaceutical companies. New diseases are discovered every day and new drugs are also developed simultaneously to treat those diseases. This has increased the demand for skilled professionals in this field or area.
The eligible students who are interested to explore and study more about the pharmacy field can join Pharm D(Post Baccalaureate) course to find good jobs that pay good salary packages and offer excellent career growth.