Pharmaceutical Industry

19 January, 2022 | Sachini Thilangika


Pharmaceutical industry is a remarkable field in the modern world. The pharmaceutical industry discovers, develops, manufactures and sells drugs and medications. As time travels, demand for the drugs also increases with the identification of new diseases. The latest example is Covid -19. Pharmaceutical industry did a great job in rescuing people from Covid-19. There were more than 10 kinds of vaccines, such as Moderna, Pfizer, Sinopharm, Sputnik V etc. developed in various countries.

The 21st century pharmaceutical industry has come a long way from its roots in 19th century pharmacy. The roots of the pharmaceutical industry lie back with the apothecaries and pharmacies that offered traditional remedies as far back as the middle ages, offering a hit-and-miss range of treatments based on centuries of folk knowledge.

But the industry really has its origins in the second half of the 19th century. Merck in Germany was possibly the earliest company which related to the pharmaceutical industry. According to the proof obtained so far there was a pharmacy founded in Darmstadt in 1668 and In 1827 Heinrich Emanuel Merck started manufacturing and selling alkaloids. In the middle of the 19th century, Beecham was involved in the industrial production of medicine, producing patented medicine from 1842, and it became the world's first factory for producing only medicines in 1859.

Now the pharmaceutical industry has become a large and very complex enterprise. At the end of the 20th century, most of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies were located in North America, Europe, and Japan. Many of them were multinational, having research, manufacturing, and sales taking place in multiple countries. Since pharmaceuticals are quite profitable, many countries are trying to develop drug companies in their countries to become larger and to compete on a worldwide scale. The pharmaceutical industry is driven largely by profits and competition. Each company strives to be the first to find cures for specific diseases.

There are so many significances of the pharmaceutical industry.

The treatments which are introduced by the pharmaceutical industry increase life expectancy.

● The industry strives to eradicate and eliminate diseases (There are 7 diseases that are almost eradicated, including: measles, rubella, polio, guinea worm and lymphatic filariasis.)

● Reduced pain and suffering from many kinds of diseases.

● The industry employs millions of people.

● Pharmaceutical companies boost the global economy.

The pharmaceutical industry offers a variety of job and career opportunities to young talented graduates with backgrounds in pharmaceutical sciences, chemistry and various other academic disciplines. Drug discovery research is highly dependent on biotechnologists, molecular biologists, biochemists, bioinformaticians, biostatistician and biomedical scientists, medicinal chemists, computer-assisted drug designers, protein and analytical chemists, pharmaco-kineticist, pharmacologists, pharmacometricians, toxicologists, bio-pharmacy and pharmaceutical technology experts, bio-engineers, medical and scientific writers and intellectual property specialists. Other specialists include quality and manufacturing management experts, data managers and analysts, specialists in regulatory sciences affairs, distribution and marketing professionals and also there are a number of career opportunities with unique qualifications in healthcare in the pharmaceutical industry.

1. Sales Representatives

Sales representatives are required to have in-depth knowledge of the products. They are responsible for the sale of the products.

2. Research and Development Manager

Research and development managers get involved in research and projects.

3. Project Managers

Project managers are in-charge of overseeing the novel medicines, medical equipment and other healthcare product development.

4. Manufacturing and Quality Managers

Manufacturing Managers are involved in production while Quality Managers are essential to ensure the safety and quality of products used by the public.

5. Laboratory Analyst

Laboratory analyst is responsible for testing the physical, chemical or biological makeup of new products and samples.

As you can see, the pharmaceutical industry is giving more than a million of career opportunities to young enthusiastic individuals. If you want an opportunity for work that is stable and in an area with excellent career development, then it is the pharmaceutical Industry. So, if you are interested in this industry do not hesitate to take part in this fabulous industry.