Page 26 - Pharmacy careers guide

Research
Research in pharmacy practice observes the effectiveness of pharmacists’ contribution to the healthcare system in improving patient health outcomes.
Other areas of research include drug discovery for pharmacotherapy or development of medicinal devices. This may involve using pharmacology knowledge for product development through formulation modifications of novel drugs in
the approval process from Phase I through to Phase IV trials. Professional skills are required in the application of scientific, medical and new knowledge for data management and statistical analysis of findings.
Pharmacists’ role in research studies may include direct management or oversight as a team member with colleagues of varying backgrounds such as medical specialty doctors, statisticians and medical writers. Projects are frequently teamwork orientated and collaboration with experts in other fields is common. There may be opportunities to educate other professionals and build connections through long‐term communication.
Job positions for pharmacists in research
The information for the job positions listed is a guide only and varies for different organisations, industry and institutions.
Job opportunities
• Hospitals
• Pharmaceutical industries
• Tertiary institutions
• Examples of research organisations in Sydney:
‐ Cancer Council
‐ The Garvin Institute of Medical Research
‐ The Woolcock Institute of Medical Research
‐ The Centenary Institute of Cancer Medicine
and Cell Biology
‐ The Children’s Medical Research Institute
‐ The George Institute of Global Research
Skills
• High level of attention to detail
• Innovative thinking
• Problem solving
• Works well in teams
• Good communication
Recommended Training requirements
• Work‐experience in research
• Holiday research scholarships
• BPharm (Honours)
• MPharm (Research)
• Master of Philosophy
• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
• Master of Qualitative Health Research
For additional information on training courses please refer to Further study opportunities on page 40 of this Guide.
These research studies are often sponsored by universities or other pharmaceutical bodies. There is a diversity of job opportunities in the research sector with flexible working hours, adequate job security and income in the upper‐mid range. However, there are limited job opportunities in NSW, with most company headquarters situated overseas.
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