Industry Profile -- by Jolene Cheslock

You don't feel very well, so you go to the doctor's office. The doctor diagnoses you with a cold and prescribes you antibiotics. She writes you a prescription, and you take it to your neighbourhood pharmacy. When you get there, either the pharmacist or the pharmacy technician/assistant takes your prescription and asks you a few questions: Have you been here before? Are you taking any other medication? Are you allergic to anything? Then she tells you how long it will be to fill your prescription. You come back in the allotted time, get your prescription, and go home. In the next few days you start to feel better, and you finish your medication feeling 100 per cent.

From the consumer-side of medication, this practice seems pretty simple. From the pharmaceutical point of view, however, it is anything but simple. There are many people working behind the scenes testing, discovering, investigating, and marketing medications. By the time medication gets to the point that doctors can prescribe it to you -- or it is available on the shelf in the drugstore -- it has gone through years of testing, many approvals, and many hands.

There are transferable skills common across the diverse occupations within the pharmacy/pharmaceutical industry. Everyone should have excellent oral and written communication skills, a caring attitude toward others, organizational skills, and ability to pay attention to detail. Those in this industry should also be able to work well independently and under pressure, be a strong team player, and possess computer literacy and typing skills.

In addition, most occupations in this industry also require strong problem-solving skills, creative thinking, and research skills. It is imperative to keep up with the changing products and processes. These skills are critical for the research and development side, but also in order to provide better in-pharmacy care for customers. Here's a closer look at some occupations in the pharmaceutical industry:

Pharmacologists are biomedical scientists who investigate the whys and hows of the effects of drugs and chemicals on living systems. They then use the results from their research to help design and evaluate drugs for the prevention and treatment of disease. Pharmacologists conduct research in laboratories in universities, hospitals, pharmaceutical or biomedical companies. They are also involved in the evaluation and marketing of drugs for the pharmaceutical industry. Pharmacologists are involved in government agencies dealing with the detection, regulation, and licensing of drugs and related products. Education varies for pharmacologists - depending on where they want to work - ranges from a bachelor degree in science to a PhD in pharmacology or biochemistry.

• Pay ranges from $32,000 to $92,000 per year.
• Below average growth is expected to 2006.

Pharmacists dispense pharmaceuticals prescribed by physicians, dentists, and other health care practitioners. They also provide pharmaceutical care by counselling people about the proper use and effects of medications. Pharmacists must have a thorough understanding of drug products and how they affect people especially when combined with other medications or alcohol. Pharmacists generally work in community settings such as neighbourhood pharmacies or in hospitals and related institutions (such as senior or nursing homes). Pharmacists also work in pharmaceutical sales, for large pharmaceutical companies, poison control centres, or in educational and research institutions. To become a pharmacist you need a bachelor degree in science with a focus on pharmacy.

• Pay ranges from $41,000 to $147,500 per year.
• Above average occupational growth is expected to 2005.

Pharmacy Technicians assist pharmacists in hospitals, clinics, community practices and related settings. They maintain computerized prescription and inventory record keeping systems, place orders for stock, stock shelves, and mark items for sale. Pharmacy technicians also ensure proper storage and security conditions for drugs, sterilize solutions, products, compounds, and prepare/label prescriptions. The responsibilities of pharmacy technicians may also be similar to a pharmacy assistant, depending on the place of employment. To become a certified pharmacy technician an exam for a pharmacy technician certificate must be successfully completed.

• Pay ranges from $20,000 to $36,000 per year.
• Above average occupational growth is expected to 2005.

Pharmacy Assistants assist the pharmacist in dispensing medications in order to give the pharmacist more time to provide one-on-one counselling care. Pharmacy assistants are responsible for receiving the prescription, drug preparation, clerical and computer duties, inventory management, and customer service. The pharmacy assistant must be under the supervision and guidance of the pharmacist or technician at all times. The education needed to be a pharmacy assistant is a certificate and practicum through the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT).

• Pay ranges from $20,000 to $36,000 per year.
• Above average occupational growth is expected to 2005.

Toxicologists examine the way chemicals interact with living organisms. Their job is to make sure chemicals improve our quality of life and do not harm the environment or ourselves. Toxicologists conduct extensive laboratory studies, develop new procedures for testing, and analyze and evaluate data gathered from studies. From the information and knowledge toxicologists gather, they develop guidelines and standards for safe levels of chemical and physical agents in workplaces, air, food and/or drinking water. The minimum requirement for toxicologists is a bachelor degree in/or related to toxicology. Most toxicologists have a post-graduate degree.

• Pay ranges from $32,100 to $92,800 per year.
• Below average growth is expected to 2006.

Quality Control Analysts research and regulate extracts -- a collection of chemicals -- and determine the effects and levels of those chemicals before they can be manufactured into consumable products. Quality control analysts make sure a company is producing exactly the same product from one year to the next ensuring the product does not change and will perform the same way from year to year. To be a quality control analyst one needs a minimum of a bachelor degree in science, such as biology, biochemistry, or microbiology. Most people in the field have a post-graduate degree in these fields.

• Average salary is $67,000.

Clinical Research Associates are involved in testing new drugs on humans. They ensure researchers treat the subjects involved in the studies ethically and that the subjects fully understand what is being tested and how the tests will be conducted. Clinical research associates act as a liaison between researchers, subjects, and pharmaceutical companies. Clinical research associates usually start as nurses, and have a masters degree.

• Average salary is $59,000.

Intellectual Property Managers work in pharmaceutical companies ensuring propriety laws are not violated. When a new drug is created, the intellectual property manager makes sure it is new (not the same as any other drug on the market). If it is the same as a drug currently being sold, the pharmaceutical company could face a lawsuit. The intellectual property manager continually keeps up with latest discoveries researching news available on the Internet and in scientific journals. They are also involved extensively with the company's lawyers to keep up on the latest intellectual property laws. To become an intellectual property manager you need a science degree, however, you can also get into the field with a business or law degree. The best combination of fields of study for an intellectual property manager is both science and law.

• Average salary is $66, 600.

Regulatory Affairs Specialists prove that a company's products have gone through government approved testing and are safe for humans. All drugs and related products must meet these approvals before being sold to consumers. To be a regulatory affairs specialist you need strong communication and organizational skills. A minimum of a science degree is required.

• Average salary is $62,000.

Each industry profiled in nextSteps includes several jobs found in other industries. Some of the other jobs associated with this industry include:

• Emergency Services, September 2001 (paramedic)
• Biotechnology, May 2001 (biological technician, chemical technologists, biochemists, microbiologist, chemists, quality assurance technicians, clinical research associate, intellectual property manager, toxicologist, regulatory affairs specialist)
• Health Care, September 1998 (registered nurses, licensed practical nurses)
• Legal Careers, January 1999 (lawyer).