Are you a pharmacist who has thought about making the switch from a retail or hospital pharmacy career to the pharmaceutical industry? 

If the answer is yes, then read on! There are many opportunities for pharmacists interested in a pharmaceutical industry career.  Perhaps the most sought-after positions in the pharmaceutical industry for pharmacists are within medical affairs. Medical affairs is the department within a pharmaceutical company that both educates healthcare providers (HCPs) and generates new clinical data for a product once that drug has been FDA approved. Perhaps the most popular role is that of the Medical Science Liaison (MSL). 

Medical Affairs Roles for Pharmacists

There are several roles within medical affairs to build a post-pharmacy career, such as:

• Medical Science Liaison 

• Medical Information Specialist 

• Pharmacovigilance (Drug Safety)

• Medical or Scientific Directors

• Health Economics Outcomes Research (HEOR) 

• Medical Writer 

• Medical Affairs Excellence

• Operations 

• Pharmacists can also look to regulatory affairs and clinical development for other opportunities as well. 

5 Expected Changes When You Transition Your Pharmacy Career

Here are 5 things that happen to your career when pharmacists transition to the pharmaceutical industry as an MSL: 

1. Better Work-Life Balance 

2. Increased Earnings 

3. Variety in your day to day responsibilities 

4. Decreased patient interactions 

5. Greater overall upward career mobility 

Traditional pharmacy careers can seem stagnant. But pharmacists who work in the pharmaceutical industry within medical affairs, clinical development or regulatory affairs, enjoy the luxury of having a variety of career paths to choose from, which may be very rewarding and fulfilling.  Perhaps one of the best recent examples of this is the role that regulatory and medical affairs have played in helping COVID-19 vaccines move forward in the regulatory process and in preparing to provide important educational information to the medical community.  

Be Prepared for Competition

Transitioning to the pharmaceutical industry as an MSL can be competitive. Many have become Board Certified in Medical Affairs (BCMAS) through the Accreditation Council for Medical Affairs (ACMA) to help set them apart. There are currently more than 4,500 board-certified professionals in the world, in over 80 countries.  The BCMAS certification is widely considered to be the industry standard and is the only accredited program in the world. 

If you are interested in learning more about how to successfully transition into the pharmaceutical industry as a pharmacist click here to read about ways to make the switch. 

Click here to find out more information about the BCMAS program.