Apprenticeship Pharmaeuticals Jobs

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Helping you find a career in the pharmaeuticals industry

Pharmaceuticals is one of the UK's biggest industries with a workforce of over 70,000 people. Medicines produced and manufactured by pharmaceutical businesses will have helped us all at some point in our lives and there are still a number of diseases for which there is no cure.

Working in pharmaceuticals you'd have a high level of responsibility towards to the public as all roles revolve around designing, marketing and manufacturing products which give the best possible treatments and improve patients' health. There are a number of apprenticeship schemes available within larger pharmaceuticals manufacturers, both on the scientific side and on the business side.

The pharmaceutical industry also relies heavily on marketing and communications. For all of these roles you'll need a strong understanding of pharmaceuticals and the human body in order to be able to effectively explain medicines to clients and customers.

There are also a number of roles available within pharmaceutical sales, which involves travelling around selling the latest drugs to medical drugs and healthcare professionals. They are the link between pharmaceutical companies and healthcare.

Or you might consider working as in a pharmacology role. A pharmacologist requires a degree education, but there are a number of other roles that you can pursue in pharmacology straight from school, such as a pharmacy advisor or technician. In these roles you would support the pharmacy in dispensing the correct medicine in the correct dosage.

As a pharmacy advisor your day will include:

Dispensing prescriptions
Ordering items
Helping customers
Assisting with deliveries
Preparing medicines

N Written by Navdeep

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Skills & interests required for a career in Pharmaeuticals

Working in pharmaceuticals you should be interested in healthcare and inspired by helping to make other's lives better through medicine.

If you want to work on the scientific side of the industry, you'll need to have had experience of working in a laboratory, and be accurate and precise with data. On the commercial side of a pharmaceutical business you'll need to be good with numbers, engaging and able to understand the basic science behind some of the products (especially in a sales / marketing role).

In a pharmacy, you will likely have to deal with customers and provide advice on the most appropriate care for their ailments. Therefore, it's important to be able to listen and offer good levels of customer service to everyone. Pharmacies can be incredibly busy, but you still have to make sure that everyone gets their correct prescriptions! Attention to detail is very important in this industry.

Pharmaeuticals apprenticeships & other career progress routes for school leavers

Many pharmaceutical employers will offer a degree as part of an apprenticeship programme, enabling you to work while you study (typically 1 study day per week at a local college or university). Once you complete your apprenticeship you'll have earned a degree, with none of the debt!

If you select an apprenticeship without a science degree, you will be limited in your career progression.

If you choose to apply for a pharmacological role, you will need a relevant scientific degree to progress. After some years of experience as a pharmacy advisor, some people will choose to pursue the relevant qualifications to become a pharmacologist.

Alternatively, there may be the option to take on more responsibilities within a pharmacy and become a team leader.

Within pharmaceutical sales much of your progression will be based on merit and your connections within the industry. Usually, you will be given a percentage commission on the sales that you make.

Tips for getting into the field

Try to gain some work experience as early as possible. The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) offers a handy tool that allows you to search for pharmaceutical recruiters to find those that offer short-term placements and internships. Experience working in the industry, or shadowing within a laboratory, can be crucial to securing the right apprenticeship or entry-level role in the pharmaceutical industry.

What do Pharmaeuticals professionals get paid?

The earning potential within the pharmaceutical industry can vary widely, but here are some average salaries according to Payscale:

Analytical chemist: £22,518 Clinical laboratory scientist: £29,225 Biochemist: £29,331 Product development scientist: £25,662 Pharmacist: £22,307-£47,361 Pharmacy technician: £19,500-£41,750 Pharmacologist £25,000-£80,000

What qualifications do I need for a career in Pharmaeuticals?

Most scientific apprenticeship schemes in the pharmaceutical industry will require you to have 3 A-levels (including a science subject, ideally Chemistry or Biology), usually at A-B grade (or equivalent) and at least 5 GCSEs, including Maths, English and a Science at grades A*-C.

For pharmaceutical sales or marketing roles the requirements are typically to hold 5 GCSEs (including Maths and English) at grade C or above and 3 A-levels at grade C+, but you will need to be able to develop an understanding of scientific principles in order to be able to explain products' properties to clients.

In order to become a pharmacy technician, you will need to be registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC). This requires a BTEC National Diploma, NVQ or National Certificate in Pharmaceutical Sciences.

Pharmacists must have an accredited Masters degree. Most of these courses require three strong A-levels and at least one of them should be a science. Most pharmacology roles require a science degree, preferably pharmacology or biology. It is also preferable to have Biology at A-level.

Read more about the Pharmaeuticals industry

Tomorrow's Pharmacist

Pharmaeuticals industry bodies

The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI)
British Pharmacological Society

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