Employment and employability for pharmacology graduates

Access through your institution Buy or subscribe “Students should be studying because they love their discipline” and “Degree courses are there to provide an appropriate workforce”. Each of

these statements has its adherents, but it is generally appreciated that degree courses supported by the tax payer should contribute to the provision of a well-qualified and creative

workforce that can make a contribution to wealth generation and the economic future of a country. Pharmacology graduates have made an outstanding contribution to the success of the

international pharmaceutical industry, which employs more than 1.5 million people, has made an enormous contribution to the overseas earnings of some countries and has improved the human

situation by developing effective treatments for major diseases. Graduate-level pharmacologists have traditionally originated from medical and pharmacy courses, and (especially in the United

Kingdom) from specialist pharmacology degrees that have recently expanded substantially. Pharmacology courses that used to enrol 8–15 students now enrol 50–100 per year; more universities

provide pharmacology degrees, and combined pharmacology degrees have been extensively developed. There is no shortage of graduates who have pharmacological training. The question is more

whether they meet the needs of their employers. Thirty years ago, >90% of first-degree pharmacologists went on to work within the pharmaceutical industry or do a higher degree related to

pharmacology. Now, less than half of pharmacology graduates from some institutions take jobs that use their specific pharmacological knowledge. The breadth of student aspirations in

employment and the diversity of employers have increased enormously. Even within the pharmaceutical industry, pharmacologists can be found not only in laboratory-based research and

development (R&D), but also in information science, product licensing, regulatory affairs, product management, sales and marketing, clinical research and trials, safety (toxicology),

finance, post-marketing surveillance, business development and portfolio management. This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution ACCESS OPTIONS Access through your

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Read our FAQs * Contact customer support AUTHOR INFORMATION AUTHORS AND AFFILIATIONS * Professor of Pharmacology, Learning and Teaching Support Network (LTSN) Centre for Bioscience, School

of Biomedical Sciences, University of Leeds, UK Ian Hughes Authors * Ian Hughes View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar RIGHTS AND PERMISSIONS

Reprints and permissions ABOUT THIS ARTICLE CITE THIS ARTICLE Hughes, I. Employment and employability for pharmacology graduates. _Nat Rev Drug Discov_ 1, 833 (2002).

https://doi.org/10.1038/nrd925 Download citation * Issue Date: 01 October 2002 * DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrd925 SHARE THIS ARTICLE Anyone you share the following link with will be able

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