5 Career Options in Pharmaceutical Industry
The Pharmaceutical Industry is one of the fastest growing sectors in the world that offers the most opportunities for students from science, pharmacy and healthcare fields. It is a highly lucrative industry with emerging advancements in areas such as drug research, manufacturing, quality control and marketing. If you are interested in improving or taking part in the development of the public health sector, you can explore career options in the pharmaceutical industry.
What is the Pharmaceutical Industry?
The pharmaceutical industry is a highly supervised and regulated industry as it is the most demanding industry all over the world. India is the largest provider of generic medicines globally, and it ranks in the third position in pharmaceutical products according to the India Brand Equity Foundation. The study or the working areas involve marketing, accounting, and finance, and a background in science or medicine helps to get a job in a pharma company.
The pharmacy course deals with the study areas such as medicinal chemistry, industrial pharmacy, drug safety, marketing, accounting, finance, and many more. It deals with health sciences, manufacturing, and preparing drugs. Its main focus is to make sure the safe use of medicines safely. Let us now look at the highest-paying jobs in the pharmaceutical industry in India.
Pharmacy Course Qualifications
To pursue a career in the pharmaceutical industry, you need certain skills and qualifications. Below are some educational requirements a candidate must follow.
1. Bachelor’s Degree
The students can pursue a career in Pharmacy and have passed their 10+2 examination in Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, or Biology. A minimum of 55% of the score is required to get admission to the B.Pharmy course. This course duration is 4 years. The students must write one of these entrance exams to obtain a bachelor’s degree: UPSEE, GPAT, NEET, BITSAT, MHT-CET, TS EAMCET, AP EAMCET, BCECE, and WBJEE, among others.
2. Master’s Degree
For a Master's degree, candidates must have a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree from a recognised university. A minimum of 50% of the score is required to be eligible for an M.Pharm course. This course duration is for 2 years. The entrance exams for this course are GPAT, BITS HD, NIPER JEE, HPCET, OJEE, AP PGECET, TS PGECET, and TANCET, among others.
Pharmacy specialization
Ayurveda
Quality Assurance
Pharmaceutics
Pharmacology
Clinical Pharmacy
Medicinal Chemistry
Pharmacognosy
Bio pharmaceutics
Drug Regulatory Affairs
Pharmaceutical Biotechnology
Drug Discovery and Drug Development
Pharmaceutical Analysis and Quality Assurance
Types of Careers in the Pharmaceutical Industry
The Pharmaceutical Industry includes various types of careers that are
Research and development | Production and manufacturing |
Regulatory affairs | Operations |
Validation | Sales and marketing |
Quality assurance and control | Clinical trials |
Medical science liaison | Pharmacologist |
Scientist | Pharmacist |
Medical Representative | - |
Pharmaceutical industry jobs in India
Pharmaceutical Sales Representative | Clinical Data Manager |
Regulatory Specialist | Medical Writer |
Biotechnology Consultant | Procurement |
Research & Development Manager | Project Manager |
Quality Control | Laboratory Analyst |
Manufacturing and Quality Assurance |
Pharmacy careers after graduation
Insurance Coder, Regulatory Manager
Health Centre Manager, Drug Dispenser
Pharmaceutical Marketing Representative
Drug Control Administrator, Hospital Manager
Drug Therapist, Customs Officer, Pharma Data Analyst
Trainer, Assistant Professor, Food and Drug Administrator
Drug Inspector, Hospital Drug Administrator, Medical Transcriptionist
Research Manager, Health Inspector, Chemical Analyst, Drug Technician
Top 5 career options in Pharmaceutical Industry
Let us now look at the top 5 career options in the pharmaceutical Industry and their average salaries in India, job roles and responsibilities, skills and qualifications.
1. Research & Development Manager
A Research & Development Manager is a professional who is responsible for constantly researching content for medical and pharmaceutical science. He/she manages multiple projects. They manage customer complaints, prepare documents and SOPs, observe and form new innovative ideas, plan new revenues for the company, and check the quality of the in-process.
Research & Development Manager Salary
The Research and Development Manager's salary in India ranges between Rs 20.9 Lakhs and Rs 23.1 Lakhs per year.
Research & Development Manager Roles and Responsibilities
Develops and maintains projects and budgets
Plans risk mitigation with other team members
Prepares updates, reports, and presentations
Build strategies to meet the project and regulatory needs
Collaborates with the procurement officer and other team members
Monitors quality systems and manages non-clinical and CMC service providers
Research & Development Manager Skills
Problem-solving skills
Excellent communication and management skills
Must have commanding research and analytical skills
2. Pharmaceutical Sales Representative
A Pharmaceutical Sales Representative is a sales representative who is responsible for building relationships with clients and stakeholders. He/She will look for developing sales of the organisation. They influence the providers to prescribe the medication to patients.
Pharmaceutical Sales Representative Salary
The Pharmaceutical Sales salary in India ranges between Rs 4 Lakhs - 4.4 Lakhs with an average annual salary of Rs 4.1 Lakhs per annum.
Pharmaceutical Sales Representative Roles and Responsibilities
Manages and reviews technical data and documentation
Analysis and research about the company's products
Keep themselves with the trending industry information
Communicates with physicians about their organisation's products
Prepares project updates, presents and reports to clients and stakeholders
Pharmaceutical Sales Representative Skills
Prepares sales to track records
Must have scientific knowledge and MS Office
Time Management, negotiation, and sales skills
Must have management, organizational and communication skills
Must know about databases, statistics, product lines, and medical issues
3. Laboratory Analyst
A laboratory analyst is a professional who is also known as a lab technologist, responsible for conducting experiments and lab tests. Analysis of the results and preparing the observations and report results. He/She collects samples and prepares solutions for sterilising equipment and testing. Analyse chemical samples and maintain a new and existing inventory of supplies.
Laboratory Analyst Salary
The Laboratory Analyst's salary in India ranges between Rs 4.3 Lakhs - 4.7 Lakhs with an average annual salary of Rs 4.5 Lakhs per annum.
Laboratory Analyst Roles and Responsibilities
Maintains a high standard of safety in the lab
Laboratory analysts manage lab equipment
Analyses and tests samples, specimens, and other things
Involves new testing methods to improve testing strategies
Analyse clinical trials' test and record the results
Prepares equipment for testing and sterilising equipment
Analyses chemical samples and collects data
Laboratory Analyst Skills
Must have work experience in a scientific environment
Must know the use of special equipment
Must have analytical skills and attention to details
Computer, management skills, and time management skills
4. Clinical Data Manager
A Clinical Data Manager is a professional who is responsible for collecting data from various organisations or projects. Their work includes hospitals, private companies, and government organisations. They look after collecting the data, organising it, and coordinating all these things. They design strategies and resolve problems with databases.
Clinical Data Manager Salary
A Clinical Data Manager's salary in India ranges between Rs 6.4 Lakhs - 7.1 Lakhs with an average annual salary of Rs 6.7 Lakhs per annum.
Clinical Data Manager Roles and Responsibilities
Solves databases problems
Trains other employees or staff
Develops data management plans
Designs and validates clinical databases
Collects data from medical research projects
Analyses trends and makes reports
Develops technical specifications for data management programs
Coordinates with clinical research and database analysts in clinical trial databases
Clinical Data Manager Skills
Must do data analysis
Must know record-keeping skills
Ability to work flexibly and adaptively
Must have a computer and leadership skills
Must observe and solve the problem of databases
Must have time management and communication skills
Must know drug development process
5. Medical Writer
A medical writer is a professional responsible for creating or writing high-quality information and knowledgeable content on healthcare matters. Medical writers write in easy and understandable language to the common people, avoiding scientific jargon.
Their work includes reading medical journals, researching trending posts and blogs, writing assignments, collaborating with sales and marketing members, attending conferences, and proofreading their work. Reading PPTs for MRs and doctors, brochures, and medical newsletters.
Medical Writer Salary
A Medical Writer's salary in India ranges between Rs 5.8 Lakhs - 6.4 Lakhs with an average annual salary of Rs 6.1 Lakhs per annum.
Medical Writer Roles and Responsibilities
Develops clinical trial-related documents
Brings out data from statistical analysis reports
Interviews doctors and medical professionals
Proofreads the final drafts before publishing
Collaborates with other staff members
Creates monographs, medical case reports and articles
Creates promotional materials and drafts stories from research
Medical Writer Skills
Analysing and research skills
Must know health matters
Must have time management and communication skills
Self-motivating and high confidence
Final Thoughts
With a degree in pharmacy, candidates can explore career options in the Pharmaceutical Industry, especially in areas such as production, quality control and sales. You can choose different career options in the Pharmaceutical Industry according to your skills, interests and strengths. As the demand for skilled candidates in healthcare and medicine is rising, careers in pharmacy offer stability, career growth and lucrative salary levels.