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Pharmaceutical Jobs

With more and more health care options available to our aging population, pharmaceutical professionals are needed to help develop, distribute, and market new medications, vitamins, supplements, and other treatments. Pharmaceutical careers offer opportunities for pharmacists, scientists, salespeople, and marketing professionals, to name a few. Its been reported that the U.S. consumed $307 billion of pharmaceutical drugs in 2010, or about 40 percent of the worlds market share, which was a 2.3-percent increase from 2009, so jobs in this field are becoming more plentiful. Pharmacists are the average consumers point person in this industry, and the job growth for this field is expected to be 25 percent faster than the countrys average through 2020. The U.S. is expected to add nearly 70,000 pharmacist jobs in that span. A pharmacist must have a doctor of pharmacy degree, must pass professional exams and be licensed in the state they work. They often work in grocery stories, drug stores, or privately owned pharmacies. The pay averages more than $111,000 a year, but in addition to their education and training, pharmacists must be experts in their field and accurate, while often dealing with customers. Pharmaceutical scientists spend much of their career in labs, developing new or more effective drugs, supplements, and vitamins for pharmaceutical companies. They are heavily involved in research, testing, and manufacturing of pharmaceuticals. Pharmacists can be educated and trained in different backgrounds, including chemistry, biology, bioinformatics, and genetics. They often must work in teams, so communication and the ability to get along with others are often key to success in developing products. Some pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists become professors of pharmacy and teach at universities or hospitals, where they can continue to do research or develop drug programs and therapies. Pharmaceutical salespeople are their companys representative to physicians and suppliers, and must have a thorough knowledge of the drugs theyre selling. They often travel and work alone, so they must be self-starters and work without supervision. They often have four-year degrees, must be able to keep track of sales, and keep up with a rapidly changing field through refresher courses on everything from chemistry to sales techniques. Prescribe yourself a dose of research in the pharmaceutical industry to learn more.