Insider’s perspective
Respondents listed the following critical factors as those being the most important to them. Please note
that a factor can rank highly based on wanting the factor or wanting to avoid the factor. As an example,
some may rank repetitive activities as a top factor as this is something that they want or look to avoid
in their practice. The factors listed below are based on the number of respondents who indicated these
would be the top five factors they would like to have in a role. Note that there are 25 total critical
factors from which to select.
Top 5 – first tier
Of interest is that this group listed a few of the different critical factors at the same percentage.
- Application of knowledge (clinical or scientific) (19.4%)
- Leisure and family time (16.7%)
- Autonomy (16.7%)
- Innovative thinking (11.1%)
- Problem solving (11.1%)
In addition to the top 5 factors, the second tier of critical factors are listed below. Note that one of
the factors, innovative thinking, is listed in both areas. This can be interpreted to mean some these
factors are in their top five list while for others they are a close second.
Top 5 – second tier
- Innovative thinking (27.8%)
- Compensation (11.1%)
- Collaborating with health professionals (11.1%)
- Ongoing coworker/client relationships (5.56%)
- Area of expertise (generalized versus specialized) (5.56%)
Regarding the application of knowledge and area of expertise, a respondent from Tennessee indicated, “I
didn’t feel (there was an) opportunity to advance as a clinical specialist, so I went back to do a
fellowship after 10 years of clinical practice.”
There are many rewarding and challenging experiences in being a pharmacist in the pharmaceutical
industry. Eleven percent of the respondents indicated that a rewarding aspect is the launch of a new
product. Numerous other areas were highlighted by the respondents.
A respondent from Georgia stated, “Communication of complex ideas: both rewarding and challenging at the
same time.” Another respondent from New Jersey added, “Rewarding–providing outreach to the community.
Challenging–juggling numerous responsibilities.”
A couple of additional rewarding statements from respondents include one from Missouri, “Launching a
product to market for a rare disease and hearing directly from patients, and the profound impact it has
had on their life.”
A respondent from Pennsylvania stated that a rewarding aspect for them is that they “(Are) an Authorized
Nuclear Pharmacist (ANP) due my training. I am licensed by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)
to handle radionuclides.”
Fifteen percent indicated that geographic work location, flexibility, and work schedule as additional
factors that are important to them. In addition, 12.1% listed self-worth/value and 9.01% listed
pressure/stress.
The directors and vice presidents in the pharmaceutical industry had a variety of responses that they
provided as highlights of their career and where they see the future of the role. Several of the
responses are listed below.
- “Growth, challenges, opportunities to come together as a profession.”
- “Impacting greater numbers (of patients) in the community.”
- “Running a very large business with thousands of colleagues to impact a large number of lives.”
- “Lots of technological advancements.”
- “Continued need for marketers to be able to adapt to new ways of approaching the role so as not to
be replaced by AI or out of the box options.”
- “Bring a part of a movement for advancing the practice of pharmacy.”
- “Launching four different drugs in disease states with high unmet need (hemophilia and postpartum
depression).”
- “Pandemic response.”
- “Lots of progress, rapidly, with the onset of AI.”
Critical factor ratings
Opportunities for advancement
[To what degree does your work allow for advancement?]
Pharmaceutical industry directors and vice presidents rated the opportunity for advancement as the
highest critical factor in the profile at an upper range of 8.50.
One respondent from Tennessee provided a broad look at advancement when they stated, “Appreciation for
lateral movement and how that is also ‘advancement’ is an important part of growth and learning in the
industry. Most people always think of advancement of going from [manager] to director, but it can be
from manager of medical information to manager of marketing. This broadening of skill set is valuable
and allows for agility in times when the job market is tough.” Another respondent from Missouri added,
“On a leadership path, the ceiling is high, and the variety of directions and places within our industry
are wide.”
Another pharmacist from North Carolina indicated, “My dual degree has given me my opportunity to be able
to find multiple and different career opportunities.” Finally, a respondent from Pennsylvania stated, “I
don't know of any other career path (in pharmacy), that a pharmacist could enter that provides greater
opportunity for advancement than the pharmaceutical industry.”
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 = Little advancement opportunities
10 = Great opportunities for advancement
Leadership development/professional involvement
[To what extent does your work allow for the development of leadership skills and
professional involvement in the pharmacy profession?]
Respondents rated this factor with a 7.69 mid-range rating.
One pharmacist from Missouri looked at this from a professional and personal standpoint and stated, “In
a leadership role, I practice my leadership skills daily and use them in my personal life too.
Professional involvement is something that I have valued and prioritized throughout my career, and I
consider this independent of any role/job.” Another from Pennsylvania added, “Leadership increases with
title changes, and there are many opportunities for title changes with the ability to manage personnel.”
One respondent from Arizonia had a slightly different viewpoint when they indicated, “I would say my
role allows for both but not as it relates to the pharmacy profession since I work in marketing in the
pharmaceutical industry.” A different respondent from Pennsylvania stated, “Continuous development is
essential for feeling like I am moving forward.”
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 = Little development of leadership skills and professional involvement
10 = Great opportunities for leadership development and professional
involvement
Community impact
[How much impact does your work have in terms of serving the community?]
Respondents rated their impact on the community with a 7.07 rating.
One pharmacists from New Jersey stated, “My team provides processing of expanded access requests for
patient need in countries.” Another from Pennsylvania added, “It's different as we are not involved in
direct patient care, but since we work at a system level with large health systems, we help those
systems improve care to our community.”
One respondent from Minnesota indicated that they are, “Helping patients access medications.”
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 = Little impact
10 = High level of impact
Autonomy
[To what extent does your work allow for autonomy in decision making?]
Respondents indicated a 7.79 upper mid-range rating for autonomy.
One respondent from Missouri stated, “Executive roles come with a large amount of autonomy which is
paired with a balance of the right level of communication in order to remain collaborative and to
prevent surprises for one's boss and team members.” Another from Pennsylvania added, “This all depends
on the manager. In my career my managers have given me a lot of freedom to complete projects and tasks
in my own manner.”
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 = Very little low autonomy
10 = High level of autonomy
Focus
[To what extent does your work allow you to be focused on the future versus a focus only on
immediate tasks?]
Respondents rated focus in the mid-range with a 7.54 rating.
A pharmacist from New Jersey provided the following thoughts, “Continuous improvement always a focus to
make process efficient for internal/external.” Another from Missouri stated, “As vice president of
operations, I experience the need to address current issues while planning for our future daily.”
One additional respondent from Pennsylvania added, “We are always thinking about the future in terms of
new drug application (NDA) filing, but not as much beyond that.”
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 = Immediate tasks only
10 = Tasks focused on the future
Prestige
[To what extent does your work provide professional prestige?]
Prestige was rated 7.50 by pharmaceutical industry management.
One respondent from Missouri stated that “Prestige is in the eye of the beholder.” Another from
Pennsylvania looked at this a little different and stated, “There are ample opportunities to write and
publish papers in my current role.”
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 = Provides low prestige
10 = Provides high prestige
Creating value/positive outcomes
[To what extent does your work allow for personal fulfillment through the creation of value
and positive outcomes?]
Most of the respondents felt that they do create value and work toward positive outcomes as they rated
this factor 7.61.
One respondent from Pennsylvania put it this way: “Compared to community or clinical pharmacy work,
there is no personal connection with patients, but I still feel personally fulfilled by the work that I
do.”
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 = Little extent
10 = High extent
Patient relationships
[To what degree do you have ongoing or long-term relationships with
patients?]
As would be expected, pharmaceutical industry directors and vice presidents have little to no ongoing
relationships with patients and rated this factor 1.21.
One respondent from Iowa provided the following, “Direct patient engagement is limited to specific roles
or circumstances; it does not involve direct patient care.” Another from Missouri stated, “Everyone has
an opportunity to make relationships with their coworkers. Today I am not patient-facing but consider my
impact on patients exponential by supporting patient-facing pharmacists which gives me satisfaction.”
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 = No ongoing/ long-term relationships
10 = All are long-term relationships
Coworker/client relationships
[To what degree do you have ongoing or long-term relationships with coworkers or
clients?]
Respondents feel that they can develop relationships with coworkers and clients over time with a rating
of 7.89.
A respondent from Pennsylvania stated, “Being on good terms with the people who I interact with most
commonly directly relates to my quality of life.”
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 = No ongoing/ long-term relationships
10 = All are long-term relationships
Writing/conducting research
[How often do you engage in writing and/or conducting research?]
Writing/conducting research was rated 5.41 by pharmaceutical industry management.
One respondent from California stated, “Everything in early phase drug development is focused on
research.” Another pharmacist from Missouri added, “I often write content for articles/blogs, but it is
not a high percentage of my work time.”
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 = None of my time
10 = All my time
Generating new ideas
[To what degree does your work involve generating new ideas?]
Generating new ideas was rated 7.79 by pharmaceutical industry management.
One respondent from Pennsylvania stated, “In working with health system decision makers, we often assist
with brainstorming/idea generation and project development for quality improvement.” Another respondent
from New Jersey indicated their response in just one word, “Continuously.”
A different respondent from New Jersey indicated that this was the key critical factor for them when
they stated, “This is my number 1! I enjoy being innovative, and it is very important to me. If this was
not part of my career/job responsibilities, then I would not be happy.”
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 = Little innovative thinking
10 = High degree of innovative thinking
Supervision/management
[To what extent do you spend your time organizing, managing, or supervising others and/or
business operations?]
Respondents were mid-range regarding spending time supervising others/business operations with a 5.86
rating.
One pharmacist from New Jersey stated, “As a team leader, I am responsible and accountable for my team.”
Another from Massachusetts indicated that they enjoy “Supervising student pharmacists and residents
(when on a rotation at the company).”
Another respondent from Pennsylvania added, “I don't have direct reports, but I do spend time organizing
and managing projects.”
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 = None of my time
10 = All my time
Patient interaction
[How much time do you spend interacting with patients?]
Respondents rated patient interaction as the lowest critical factor in the profile with a rating at
0.75.
One respondent from New Jersey stated they were concerned about the “Lack of direct patient
interaction.” This was reinforced by another pharmacist from Missouri who stated the exact same comment,
“Lack of direct patient interaction.”
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 = None of my time
10 = All my time
Public interaction
[How much time do you spend interacting with the public?]
Respondents rated interacting with the public as a low-range factor rating of 2.64.
One respondent from New Jersey stated that they “Speak at external meetings/forum.” another respondent
from Ohio simply stated, “Public speaking.”
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 = None of my time
10 = All my time
Collaboration
[How often do you work or collaborate with other health professionals or educate other
professionals in your work?]
Collaboration was rated 7.22 by pharmaceutical industry management.
A respondent from Pennsylvania stated, “The health professionals on the clinical development side of
industry need very little additional education since they are focused on the therapeutic area of
research.” Another respondent from New Jersey indicated, “I provide administrative oversight of
interprofessional education.”
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 = None of my time
10 = All my time
Family/leisure time
[How much free time do you have for leisure and family activities in your work?]
At a 6.48 rating, pharmacists are mid-range in the time they have for leisure and family activities.
One respondent from New Jersey put this simply that they have “Good work-life balance.” Another from
Pennsylvania added, “It ebbs and flows.”
A different respondent from Pennsylvania stated, “My purpose in life is more related to my family than
my career, so this is indispensable.”
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 = Little free time
10 = Plenty of time for family and leisure activities
Impact on well-being
[To what degree do you impact the well-being of individuals?]
Respondents feel that they have a mid-range impact on well-being with a 7.11 rating.
A respondent :from Pennsylvania provided an interesting perspective when they said, “If the drug is
approved, there is high impact. If not, there is low/no impact.” Another respondent from North Carolina
simply stated that impact occurs “Indirectly.”
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 = Low degree
10 = High degree
Problem solving
[To what degree do you solve problems with tried-and-true alternatives versus untested
alternatives in your work?]
Problem solving was a mid-range rating of 5.55 by pharmaceutical industry management.
One respondent from New Jersey provided their thoughts on problem solving, saying, “I do not believe in
change for the sake of change, but I do strive to address problems with fresh eyes, to research and
review data, and to think outside of the box.” Another respondent from Tennessee stated, “A part of
marketing is being able to test out tried and true ideas and new ones.”
One additional respondent provided the following, “I enjoy problem solving and creating. If I did not
have this in my job, I would not feel challenged.”
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 = Tried and true
10 = Untested alternatives
Expertise
[How general or specialized is the expertise required in your work?]
Pharmacists indicated that their expertise leans toward the specialized side with a rating of 7.52.
One respondent from New Jersey stated, “Expertise is required, we strive to be subject matter experts.”
A different respondent from New Jersey added, “EA/compassionate use is a niche area—not all are aware.”
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 = Generalized
10 = Specialized
Repetition
[To what degree is your work composed of activities and tasks that are highly repetitive
versus highly variable?]
Respondents rated repetition at 6.00, a mid-range response between being highly repetitive and highly
variable.
One respondent from Pennsylvania stated, “To me this is the best balance; lack of mundane repetition,
but enough that work is not stressful.” Another from New Jersey stated, “As an administrator, I am faced
with new challenges every day.”
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 = Highly repetitive
10 = Highly variable
Applying scientific knowledge
[How much of your time is spent applying scientific knowledge in your
work?]
Respondents rated this factor at 6.96, slightly higher that the application of clinical knowledge.
One respondent from Pennsylvania indicated that “Scientific thinking is more important than clinical
expertise in trials with healthy participants.” Another pharmacist from New York added, “I spent so much
time in pharmacy school that not to apply my knowledge seems like a waste.”
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 = No application
10 = High level of application all the time
Applying clinical knowledge
[How much of your time is spent applying clinical knowledge in your
work?]
Respondents rated this factor slightly lower that application of scientific knowledge with a 6.15
rating.
A respondent from New Jersey stated, “Clinical knowledge was previously 10 but has decreased since I
entered administration. I still use clinical knowledge extensively for program development and
implementation and continuous quality improvement (CQI) initiatives.”
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 = No application
10 = High level of application all the time
Parental leave
[To what extent does your work setting offer parental leave opportunities?]
Respondents were mixed in their response with a 6.11 rating to parental leave, as some do not have the
need for this factor.
A respondent from Texas provides the following information, “I received 12 weeks of unpaid leave through
FMLA, but I opted to use 8 weeks of short-term-disability benefits that were allowed to be for a
c-section. Through short-term disability, I received less than half of what my usual pay is for those 8
weeks.” Another from Pennsylvania simple stated that this “Depends on the company.”
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 = Limited opportunities
10 = Unlimited opportunities
Compensation
[To what degree do you feel compensated for your responsibilities in your work?]
Compensation is the second highest rated critical factor for pharmaceutical industry management at a
7.93 rating.
A pharmacist from Pennsylvania stated, “I never expected to be so well-compensated in my career, and I
am only 5 years in the pharmaceutical industry.” Another from Tennessee added, “Base salary and a 20%
bonus is a very comfortable compensation.”
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 = Not well compensated
10 = Well compensated
Benefit package
[How comprehensive is the employee benefit package offered in your work setting?]
Respondents indicated that their benefit package leaned toward the very comprehensive side, with a
rating of 7.85.
One respondent from Tennessee summed this up well, saying, “401k match + great health benefits +
equity.”
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 = Not comprehensive
10 = Very Comprehensive
Advice for students
Respondents provided advice across several areas and what the future brings. A total of 16.2% of the
managed care pharmacists indicated that they see growth in this area moving forward. Information from
several of the pharmacists is listed below:
- “To continue to engage in industry opportunities, don’t limit to a PharmD alone, and continue to be
scientifically curious.”
- “Patient care, less task oriented.”
- “Learn how to learn.”
- “Increased interest in the value of new medicines, beyond safety and efficacy!”
- “Stay open minded, your career may look different than you expect.”
Professional organizations
Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP)
675 North Washington Street, Suite 220, Alexandria, VA 22314
(703) 684-2600 | www.amcp.org
Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE)
190 South LaSalle Street, Suite 3000, Chicago, IL 60603-3446
(312) 664-3575 | www.acpe-accredit.org
American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP)
1400 Crystal Drive, Suite 300, Arlington, VA 22202
(703) 739-2330 | www.aacp.org
American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS)
Avedisian Hall, 7 Greenhouse Road, Kingston, RI 02881
(703) 556-0650 | www.aaps.org
American Association of Psychiatric Pharmacists (AAPP)
8055 O Street, Suite S113, Lincoln, NE 68510
(402) 476-1677 | www.aapp.org
American College of Apothecaries (ACA)
2830 Summer Oaks Drive, Bartlett, TN 38134
(901) 383-8119 | www.acainfo.org
American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP)
13000 West 87th Street Parkway, Lenexa, KS 66215-4530
(913) 492-3311 | www.accp.com
American Foundation for Pharmaceutical Education (AFPE)
11325 Random Hills Road, Suite 360A-105, Fairfax, VA 22030
(571) 404-0471 | www.afpenet.org
American Pharmacists Association (APhA)
2215 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20037
(202) 628-4410 | www.pharmacist.com
American Society of Consultant Pharmacists (ASCP)
1240 North Pitt Street, Suite 300, Alexandria, VA 22314
(703) 739-1300 | www.ascp.com
American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP)
4500 East-West Highway, Suite 900, Bethesda, MD 20814
(866) 279-0681 | www.ashp.org
Board of Pharmacy Specialties (BPS)
2215 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20037
(202) 946-5026 | www.bpsweb.org
Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association (HOPA)
555 East Wells Street, Suite 1100, Milwaukee, WI 53202
(877) 467-2791 | www.hoparx.org
National Alliance of State Pharmacy Associations (NASPA)
2530 Professional Road, North Chesterfield, VA 23235
(804) 285-4431 | www.naspa.us
National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP)
1600 Feehanville Drive, Mount Prospect, IL 60056
(847) 391-4406 | www.nabp.pharmacy
National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS)
1776 Wilson Blvd, Suite 200, Arlington, VA 22209
(703) 549-3001 | www.nacds.org
National Association of Specialty Pharmacy (NASP)
300 New Jersey Ave, NW, #900, Washington, DC 20001
(703) 842.0122 | www.naspnet.org
National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA)
100 Daingerfield Road, Alexandria, VA 22314
(703) 683-8200 | www.ncpa.org
National Pharmaceutical Association (NPhA)
10810 North Tatum Boulevard, Suite 102-965, Phoenix, AZ 85028
(480) 405-9291 | www.nationalpharmaceuticalassociation.org
Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA)
670 Maine Avenue, SW, Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20024
(202) 835-3400 | www.phrma.org