Evaluating the Pharmaceutical Industry's Need for Graduates with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences

Objectives. The pharmaceutical industry traditionally hires pharmacists with bachelor of science (BS) steps for formulation development, manufacturing, etc As the B in pharmacy step is phased out, it is important to know if manufacturers still ne employee with the expertise that the B step provides.

Methods. Data were gathered from a survey asking in what manner pharmaceutical manufacturing scientists felt about employing somebodys with a BS in pharmacy, what individuals with BS in pharmacy stages currently do for their company, and what courses would be of value in a stage designed for industry employment. Demographic data were also collected

Result review packets were mailed to 1000 AAPS members and 255 contemplates were returned. Eighty-three percent of respondent agreed that pharmacy gymnasiums should offer BS degrees specific for industry employ Courses in drug development and organic chemistry were the greatest in quantity desirable, while radiopharmaceuticals and immunology were the least favored. Respondent indicated that they would like to hire 826 individuals with BS in pharmacy steps within the next 5 years, creating a potential piece of work market for individuals with a B in the pharmaceutical sciences.

Conclusions. There is a ne to provide the pharmaceutical industry with qualified someones trained at the BS horizontal of pharmaceutical education. Educational programs of this stamp should be continued or developed

Keywords: B in pharmaceutical sciences, industry craft pharmaceutical education

INTRODUCTION

As society s of pharmacy complete the put in motion to the clinically focused Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) step as the sole professional entry-level step fewer individuals will have education at the Bachelor of Science (BS) horizontal in the basic pharmaceutical sciences. The B step will no longer provide the education necessary to become a licensed pharmacist. Thus, a bachelor's stage in pharmaceutical sciences, focused upon basic pharmaceutical sciences, provides the education necessary for possible business with pharmaceutical companies or graduate seminary but not for registration as a pharmacist. Pharmaceutical sciences are defined as pharmacology/toxicology, medicinal chemistry, and pharmaceutics. As early as 1998 the shift to the clinically based curriculum was leading to a decrease in the number of individuals holding a Bachelor of Science stage in pharmacy in the pharmaceutical industry. That year, the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS) Salary and avocation Status Survey indicated a greater than 27% decrease in the number of individuals in the industry holding a B stage in pharmacy.1

Breimer2 stated that pharmaceutical companies are major clients of pharmacy seminarys and that it is a challenge of this "labor market to know which emblems of competencies and skills graduates now need" In addition, as the industry changes, academia must change to proper new needs.2 Mooney recommends a partnership between industry, academia, and rule as he claims there is a shortfall between output from universities and demand by the agency of the pharmaceutical and health care industries for science and engineering graduates.3 Further, pharmacy sales and marketing executives reported increasing difficulty in recruitment from 1989 to 1994 Pharmaceutical companies are finding themselves without the talented individuals necessary to out and out the tasks at hand.4,5 The 6-year time commitment for PharmD programs(2 years in pre-pharmacy and 4 years in professional study) be the effected in fewer individuals seeking graduate education.6,7 Thus, it has become more difficult for pharmaceutical companies to hire qualified individuals as there are fewer individuals with BS degrees as well as fewer pharmacy graduates continuing their education for graduate degrees

Research applications in the sciences, along with clinical research, are the major constitutings of drug discovery and disentanglement These are the basic tenants of innovation in the pharmaceutical industry. Perhaps individuals trained at the B horizontal in pharmaceutical sciences could be exerciseed in the pharmaceutical industry or be encouraged to continue their education for a career in pharmaceutical research. In 1991/92 the Argus Commission was supplicationed by the American Association of communitys of Pharmacy to consider the pharmaceutical industry/academic pharmacy interface. This Commission's recommendations included that data should be mustered concerning the needs of the industry and career opportunities, and then distributed to members.8 Thus, this observe of the pharmaceutical industry was undertaken to help evaluate the in every one's mouth function, need for and training desired of individuals at associations of pharmacy in pharmaceutical sciences programs.

The intention of this study was to evaluate pharmaceutical manufacturers' ne for employee with a Bachelor of Science step in pharmaceutical sciences that does not lead to licensure as a pharmacist. Three research questions were proposed: (1) To what stage do pharmaceutical scientists feel that somebodys with a BS in pharmaceutical sciences could contribute to the pharmaceutical industry? (2) by what mode many of these persons are commonly employed and what functions do they perform? and (3) what impressed sign of coursework should a B curriculum include?