Nestorbot
HealthcareISCO 2262

Industrial pharmacist

An industrial pharmacist is a person who takes part in the research and creation of medications: developing new medicines, running the tests they have to pass, assuring their quality and seeing that the product complies with the regulations it will be sold under. The work is in the laboratory and the plant rather than at a dispensing counter.

Take the free testCheck yourself in a minute ↓AI risk: 37/100 (moderate risk)

Check yourself in a minute: industrial pharmacist

Rate 5 of the 18 essential skills of this occupation (European ESCO data). No account needed.

comply with legislation related to health care

develop pharmaceutical drugs

apply context specific clinical competences

accept own accountability

microbiology-bacteriology

About industrial pharmacist

Chemistry is the foundation. The industrial pharmacist works from organic and inorganic chemistry to understand what an active substance does and what it reacts with, and from pharmaceutical technology to turn that substance into a form a patient can take: a tablet, a solution, an injection. Pharmaceutical processes decide whether what worked at laboratory scale can be made at all.

Quality and safety are the standing obligations. The pharmacist assures the quality of what is produced, works to improve medicine safety through the development stages and after release, and keeps to the healthcare regulations and pharmaceutical law that govern every step from trial design to labelling. A product that cannot be documented cannot be approved.

Responsibility here is personal rather than procedural. The industrial pharmacist takes accountability for their own decisions, including the decision that a batch, a result or a specification is not good enough to pass on.

European Skills Framework

Skills and knowledge areas required for this occupation based on European classification.

Essential (18)

microbiology-bacteriologymicrobiology-bacteriologyMicrobiology-Bacteriology is a medical specialty mentioned in the EU Directive 2005/36/EC.pharmacy lawpharmacy lawThe legal and other requirements associated with the pursuit of pharmacy activities.organic chemistryorganic chemistryThe chemistry of compounds and substances containing carbon.physicsphysicsThe natural science involving the study of matter, motion, energy, force and related notions.pharmaceutical technologypharmaceutical technologyPharmaceutical technology is the branch of pharmaceutics which deals with the technological design, development, manufacture, and evaluation of drugs and medicinal products.pharmacognosypharmacognosyThe physical, chemical, biochemical and biological properties of medicines which have natural sources as an origin.pharmaceutical processespharmaceutical processesThe techniques, principles and processes dealing with the creation and mixing of pharmaceutical ingredients and products such as aspirins, antiviral drugs and other types of medicines.human anatomyhuman anatomyThe dynamic relationship of human structure and function and the muscosceletal, cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, endocrine, urinary, reproductive, integumentary and nervous systems; normal and ...pharmaceutical chemistrypharmaceutical chemistryThe chemical aspects of identification and synthetic alteration of chemical entities as they relate to therapeutic use. The way various chemicals affect biological systems and how they can be integrat...toxicologytoxicologyThe negative effects of chemicals on living organisms, their dose and exposure.inorganic chemistryinorganic chemistryThe chemistry of substances that do not contain hydrocarbon radicals.pharmacotherapypharmacotherapyThe application of medicinal drugs used to treat diseases compared to surgical therapy.improve safety of medicinesimprove safety of medicinesImprove the efficacy and safety of medication by promoting evidence-based medicine, development of guidelines and care protocols.comply with legislation related to health carecomply with legislation related to health careComply with the regional and national health legislation which regulates relations between suppliers, payers, vendors of the healthcare industry and patients, and the delivery of healthcare services.adhere to organisational guidelinesadhere to organisational guidelinesAdhere to organisational or department specific standards and guidelines. Understand the motives of the organisation and the common agreements and act accordingly.develop pharmaceutical drugsdevelop pharmaceutical drugsDevelop new therapeutic products according to the potential formulas, studies and indications recorded during the research process which involved also collaboration with physicians, biochemists and ph...apply context specific clinical competencesapply context specific clinical competencesApply professional and evidence based assessment, goal setting, delivery of intervention and evaluation of clients, taking into account the developmental and contextual history of the clients, within ...accept own accountabilityaccept own accountabilityAccept accountability for one`s own professional activities and recognise the limits of one`s own scope of practice and competencies.
Optional (25) — show
botanybotanyThe taxonomy or classification of plant life, phylogeny and evolution, anatomy and morphology, and physiology.safe management of medicinessafe management of medicinesThe methods and principles required to handle, store and prescribe medication with the aim of improving the safety and quality of medication usage.quality assurance methodologiesquality assurance methodologiesQuality assurance principles, standard requirements, and the set of processes and activities used for measuring, controlling and ensuring the quality of products and processes.sales strategiessales strategiesThe principles concerning customer behaviour and target markets with the aim of promotion and sales of a product or a service.perform toxicological studiesperform toxicological studiesPerform tests to detect poisons or drug misuse and help to monitor therapy by using chemical reagents, enzymes, radioisotopes and antibodies to detect abnormal chemical concentrations in the body.inform policy makers on health-related challengesinform policy makers on health-related challengesProvide useful information related to health care professions to ensure policy decisions are made in the benefit of communities.perform laboratory testsperform laboratory testsCarry out tests in a laboratory to produce reliable and precise data to support scientific research and product testing.implement marketing strategiesimplement marketing strategiesImplement strategies which aim to promote a specific product or service, using the developed marketing strategies.wear appropriate protective gearwear appropriate protective gearWear relevant and necessary protective gear, such as protective goggles or other eye protection, hard hats, safety gloves.assist in the production of laboratory documentationassist in the production of laboratory documentationAssist in documenting laboratory work, especially paying attention to policies and standard operating procedures.test medicinal productstest medicinal productsTest medicinal products and their effects and interactions in a laboratory.apply safety procedures in laboratoryapply safety procedures in laboratoryMake sure that laboratory equipment is used in a safe manner and the handling of samples and specimens is correct. Work to ensure the validity of results obtained in research.provide pharmaceutical adviceprovide pharmaceutical adviceProvide information and advice on medicinal products such as the appropriate use, the adverse reactions and the interactions with other medications.manage medical supply chainsmanage medical supply chainsEnsure that medicines are stored in appropriate facilities and environmental conditions to ensure stability, quality and safety of the medicinal product over its shelf life, storing medicines in a saf...analyse medication's impact on brainanalyse medication's impact on brainConsult on pharmaceutical drug trials that might impact the central nervous system.maintain medical laboratory equipmentmaintain medical laboratory equipmentRegularly check the condition of medical laboratory equipment used, clean, and perform maintenance operations, as necessary.manufacture medicinesmanufacture medicinesFormulate and compound medicines performing pharmaceutical calculations, selecting the appropriate route of administration and dosage form for the medicine, the appropriate ingredients and excipients ...ensure pharmacovigilanceensure pharmacovigilanceReport on the adverse reactions of pharmaceutical products to the competent authorities.analyse experimental laboratory dataanalyse experimental laboratory dataAnalyse experimental data and interpret results to write reports and summaries of findings.conduct health related researchconduct health related researchConduct research in health related topics and communicate findings orally, through public presentations or by writing reports and other publications.recommend product improvementsrecommend product improvementsRecommend product modifications, new features or accessories to keep customers interested.manage adverse reactions to drugsmanage adverse reactions to drugsAnalyse and manage adverse reactions to drugs such as general and local anaesthetics and antibiotics, describing the principles of drug challenge and desensitisation to the allergic patient and provid...manage medication safety issuesmanage medication safety issuesTake action to prevent, minimise, resolve and follow-up medicines related problems, maintaining and contributing to a reporting system of pharmacovigilance.contribute to registration of pharmaceutical productscontribute to registration of pharmaceutical productsParticipate in the registration process that allows the sale and distribution of substances that treat or prevent human and animal diseases or enable medical diagnosis.maintain medical devicesmaintain medical devicesEnsure all medical devices and appliances are properly stored and taken care of so they maintain their functionality and appearance.

Related Occupations

Occupations that need many of the same essential skills, so the move between them is shortest.

specialist pharmacist15 shared essential skillspharmacist13 shared essential skillsbiomedical scientist7 shared essential skillshospital pharmacist7 shared essential skillsanatomical pathology technician6 shared essential skillsmidwife6 shared essential skillsphysiotherapist6 shared essential skillsaudiologist5 shared essential skills

Frequently asked questions

What does an industrial pharmacist do?

Industrial pharmacists are involved in the research and creation of medications. They develop new medicines, perform tests, assure quality and ensure that medication complies with regulations.

What skills does an industrial pharmacist need?

An industrial pharmacist needs 18 essential skills, including microbiology-bacteriology, pharmacy law, organic chemistry, physics, pharmaceutical technology.

Will AI replace industrial pharmacist jobs?

The AI disruption score for industrial pharmacist is 37/100 (moderate risk). Skills most exposed to automation: pharmacy law, organic chemistry, quality assurance methodologies. Most resilient: human anatomy, wear appropriate protective gear, apply safety procedures in laboratory.

Quick Facts

SectorHealthcare
ISCO GroupHealth professionals
Essential Skills18

Is industrial pharmacist right for you?

Take the free 10-minute Career Portrait to see which career direction fits your motivations and strengths.

Take the free test