The pharmaceutical industry is one of the UK’s biggest industrial sectors. It discovers, develops and manufactures medicines essential for our health. Development of a new drug is an exciting but also high risk, high cost business, costing several £100M for each new drug brought to market. The Analytical Scientist is one of few professionals involved at each step from drug discovery to manufacture of the final product - performing a critical role.

In 1998 the UK pharmaceutical industry

• spent in excess of £100 million per annum on Analytical Science in Research & Development, and employs more than 1200 Analytical Scientists in R & D and a further 1000 in manufacturing
• had over 70% of Analytical Scientists in R & D with a first degree in chemistry or pharmacy, while <10% have a degree in applied science
• recruited on average greater than 100 chemistry graduates into Analytical Science

Graduates who join the industry as Analytical Scientists can also go on to develop careers in allied areas such as product development, manufacturing, regulatory affairs and project management. There is a very wide range of career opportunities and analytical science could be just the beginning…

In analytical science, the goal is to identify and quantify the entity of interest. This can be the drug substance itself, a degradate or impurity of the drug substance, a raw material, metabolite, or a bacterium. Correct structural identification can be critical as degradates may be toxic. Suitable methods are developed and validated to ensure correct determination of these substances is achieved, every time. The many and varied requirements of pharmaceutical analysis requires mastery of an array of instrumental techniques.

To learn more about the challenges involved in pharmaceutical science, turn to the following pages for information on -

• Breadth and Diversity: what’s involved, who’s involved?
• Knowledge and Skills required: qualifications, training, personal skills, regulatory requirements.
• Science in Pharmaceutical Analysis: the techniques, application of theory and knowledge.
• Problem Solving: what’s happening; how did it happen; how can it be stopped, changed, measured?

And finally, what’s in it for you?

• Job Prospects/Careers in Pharmaceutical Analysis: types of companies, the rewards, job prospects, career opportunities.