Evaluating the Pharmaceutical Industry's Need for Graduates with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences

American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 2003 by Broedel-Zaugg, Kimberly, Kisor, David F, Sullivan, Donald L

Objectives. The pharmaceutical industry traditionally hires pharmacists with bachelor of science (BS) degrees for formulation development, manufacturing, etc. As the BS in pharmacy degree is phased out, it is important to know if manufacturers still need employees with the expertise that the BS degree provides.

Methods. Data were collected from a survey asking how pharmaceutical manufacturing scientists felt about employing persons with a BS in pharmacy, what persons with BS in pharmacy degrees currently do for their company, and what courses would be of value in a degree designed for industry employment. Demographic data were also collected.

Results. Survey packets were mailed to 1,000 AAPS members and 255 surveys were returned. Eighty-three percent of respondents agreed that pharmacy schools should offer BS degrees specific for industry employment. Courses in drug development and organic chemistry were the most desirable, while radiopharmaceuticals and immunology were the least favored. Respondents indicated that they would like to hire 826 persons with BS in pharmacy degrees within the next 5 years, creating a potential job market for individuals with a BS in the pharmaceutical sciences.

Conclusions. There is a need to provide the pharmaceutical industry with qualified persons trained at the BS level of pharmaceutical education. Educational programs of this type should be continued or developed.

Keywords: BS in pharmaceutical sciences, industry employment, pharmaceutical education

INTRODUCTION

As colleges of pharmacy complete the move to the clinically focused Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree as the sole professional entry-level degree, fewer individuals will have education at the Bachelor of Science (BS) level in the basic pharmaceutical sciences. The BS degree will no longer provide the education necessary to become a licensed pharmacist. Thus, a bachelor's degree in pharmaceutical sciences, focused on basic pharmaceutical sciences, provides the education necessary for possible employment with pharmaceutical companies or graduate school, but not for registration as a pharmacist. Pharmaceutical sciences are defined as pharmacology/toxicology, medicinal chemistry, and pharmaceutics. As early as 1998, the shift to the clinically based curriculum was leading to a decrease in the number of individuals holding a Bachelor of Science degree in pharmacy in the pharmaceutical industry. That year, the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS) Salary and Employment Status Survey indicated a greater than 27% decrease in the number of individuals in the industry holding a BS degree in pharmacy.1

Breimer2 stated that pharmaceutical companies are major clients of pharmacy schools and that it is a challenge of this "labor market to know which types of competencies and skills graduates now need." In addition, as the industry changes, academia must change to meet new needs.2 Mooney recommends a partnership between industry, academia, and government as he claims there is a shortfall between output from universities and demand by the pharmaceutical and health care industries for science and engineering graduates.3 Further, pharmacy sales and marketing executives reported increasing difficulty in recruitment from 1989 to 1994. Pharmaceutical companies are finding themselves without the talented individuals necessary to complete the tasks at hand.4,5 The 6-year time commitment for PharmD programs(2 years in pre-pharmacy and 4 years in professional study) resulted in fewer individuals seeking graduate education.6,7 Thus, it has become more difficult for pharmaceutical companies to hire qualified individuals as there are fewer persons with BS degrees as well as fewer pharmacy graduates continuing their education for graduate degrees.

Research applications in the sciences, along with clinical research, are the major components of drug discovery and development. These are the basic tenants of innovation in the pharmaceutical industry. Perhaps individuals trained at the BS level in pharmaceutical sciences could be employed in the pharmaceutical industry or be encouraged to continue their education for a career in pharmaceutical research. In 1991/92, the Argus Commission was requested by the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy to consider the pharmaceutical industry/academic pharmacy interface. This Commission's recommendations included that data should be collected concerning the needs of the industry and career opportunities, and then distributed to members.8 Thus, this survey of the pharmaceutical industry was undertaken to help evaluate the current function, need for and training desired of individuals at colleges of pharmacy in pharmaceutical sciences programs.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate pharmaceutical manufacturers' need for employees with a Bachelor of Science degree in pharmaceutical sciences that does not lead to licensure as a pharmacist. Three research questions were proposed: (1) To what degree do pharmaceutical scientists feel that persons with a BS in pharmaceutical sciences could contribute to the pharmaceutical industry? (2) How many of these persons are currently employed and what functions do they perform? and (3) what type of coursework should a BS curriculum include?