Annually, we recognize the impact of pharmacists across the country on National Pharmacists Day. This is a time of honor to recognize pharmacists across the country for their important role in healthcare. For several years, pharmacists have continuously been named among the top five most trusted professionals. Our commitment to lifelong learning combined with our consistent placement in being the most accessible healthcare provider has solidified our position as important assets within the healthcare ecosystem. 

Traditionally, pharmacists engage in the decision-making process after a product (medication or device) “hits the shelf,” or is ready to be dispensed and added to therapy for a patient. Community and retail pharmacists counsel and recommend products to patients and physicians that have been marketed and are ready for purchase. Clinical and acute-care pharmacists manage medication therapies based on clinical practice guidelines, which includes the studies and data of a product’s safety and efficacy. Where do these studies come from? Who markets these products? How do physicians know how to use these products? We can turn to one profession that can answer each of these questions: pharmacists! 

Within the last two decades, more opportunities have evolved for pharmacists within the pharmaceutical industry, forming a non-traditional option for these experts. Within pharma, pharmacists are able to engage in the decision-making process of a product before it “hits the shelf.” We see an increased need for pharmacists within the clinical and development, regulatory affairs, and medical affairs teams of pharmaceutical companies. These teams are utilized in each stage of a product’s pipeline in order to supplement the lifecycle of the drug or device. 

Medical Affairs 

This medical affairs team is one of the largest functional teams at a pharmaceutical company which employs pharmacists.  Therefore, medical affairs career opportunities for pharmacists have grown significantly in the last few years. Positions such as medical information specialists, medical science liaison and medical directors are excellent fits for pharmacists. The medical affairs team is focused on both data generation and data dissemination to improve patient care. A key skill to succeed within any medical affairs role is excellent communication. This team communicates scientific information, evaluates clinical trial data, and writes medical publications. Pharmacists are needed in medical affairs teams for their clinical expertise in multiple roles. In fact, “Pharmacist” and “PharmD” were the leading individual job titles of Board Certified Medical Affairs Specialists (BCMAS) from 2016-2021. Pharmacists in medical affairs are evident in medical information, medical communication, medical science liaison, and pharmacovigilance roles. If a physician has a specific question about a medication, a question submitted to the pharmaceutical company is answered by the medical information team based on evidence-based medicine. The field-based medical science liaison educates physicians and other key opinion leaders about their company’s product. 

Regulatory Affairs 

The regulatory affairs team provides guidance to the company by leading communications between the company and the FDA. A key skill to succeed within regulatory affairs is medical writing and a strong understanding of the regulatory process. Pharmacists are needed in regulatory affairs to provide strategy to their companies based on timelines of important document submissions. These timelines can include pre-marketing, such as Investigational New Drug applications, and post-marketing documents. 

Clinical Development/Health Economics and Outcomes Research  

The clinical development team is responsible for the studies within Phase 1 - Phase 4 of clinical trials. Pharmacists are needed within this team to provide input from studies for analysis. The brochures and protocols that come from this stage of a product’s pipeline can have a huge impact on the company’s strategy.  Currently, the need for more inclusion in clinical trial designs is being brought to the forefront. Enroll in Diversity in Clinical Trials certificate offered by the ACMA to learn about the current state of diversity in clinical trials, the causes of disparity, and how you can employ a solution to fix the problem.

The COVID-19 pandemic shook our healthcare system in a way we did not imagine but it also gave rise to virtual interactions and the ability for many positions like these to work from home as a pharmacist. As the profession rises, the opportunities to maintain the pharmacist’s place in healthcare decision-making also rises. While the role of the pharmacist is evolving, we still remain true to one solid foundation - assets to any healthcare organization.