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Pharmaceutical Jobs

Nature of the Industry

Pharmaceutical jobs involve creating, manufacturing, and distributing medications for the healthcare industry. This includes antibiotics to treat infections, painkillers for people recovering from surgery, and medications taken to manage diabetes or other chronic health conditions.

Pharmaceutical jobs can be found with mainline, research, or generic companies. Mainline companies market approved drugs, research companies develop new medications, and generic companies work on creating cheaper versions of medications that have expired patents. Employees at all of these companies must follow rules for quality control and safety as outlined by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

At first glance, it seems like the pharmaceutical industry is expanding rapidly. New drugs are being developed every day, as researchers continue to seek ways to improve the health of people suffering from serious illnesses. However, opportunities for people interested in pharmaceutical jobs will increase at a slightly below average rate over the next several years. Technological advances have made it possible to manufacture drugs with fewer workers, but there will be additional opportunities for people who are interested in careers dealing with research and development.

Types of Jobs

Some of the different types of pharmaceutical jobs available include positions for chemical engineers, chemists, medical scientists, microbiologists, natural sciences and industrial production managers, administrative assistants, bacteriologists, biochemists, biological and chemical technicians, physiologists, production workers, toxicologists, virologists, biologists, pathologists, pharmacologists, and zoologists.

Training and Education

Pharmaceutical jobs require skills in biology, chemistry, technology, and mathematics. Graduate degrees are required for jobs in research and development, but some administrative jobs may be available for people with a bachelor’s degree or an associate’s degree and related experience. Production jobs in the pharmaceutical industry typically require a high school diploma and on-the-job training.

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