The pharmaceutical industry is a key sector within the larger health care industry, preventing diseases and improving quality of lives. According to 2008 figures from the Department of Innovations, Industry, Science & Research, the pharmaceutical industry reported a turnover of $17 billion and is one of the leading manufacturing exporters in Australia.
The pharmaceutical industry’s key focus involves the research and development of drugs, production and supply of clinically approved drugs and eventually, marketing them to hospitals, pharmacies and clinics.
Generally, the pharmaceutical sector requires talents in its scientific, corporate and manufacturing departments. Careers include: clinical research; sales and business development; engineering; regulatory matters (law) and marketing and branding.
Other careers options that are available in the pharmaceutical sector include physicians and pharmacists (retail).
What to study
The pharmaceutical sector is responsible for creating some 34,000 jobs across the nation. Depending on which aspect of the pharmaceutical sector you’re looking to specialise in, there are many paths of study you can take to land a career in the pharmaceutical industry.
You may opt to take a science degree (chemistry, biology or physics), pharmaceutical science, pharmacology, law or engineering if you’re inclined to be part of the clinic research and production of the pharmaceutical drugs.
Often offered as a four-year program, law degrees, engineering degrees, science degrees and pharmaceutical science degrees are some of the main education prerequisites for a career in the pharmaceutical sector.
Students doing business degrees may also start their career in the pharmaceutical sector where sales, wholesaling and business supply chains administration are required in the sales and promotion of pharmaceutical drugs to pharmacies, clinics and hospitals.