Career prospects

Function in a working context:

• synthesises, develops and characterises compounds of biological interest at the basic and applied research level with a view to the formulation of potential new drugs;
• patents and registers medicinal or biomedical products;
• leads technical management in cosmetic or food industries, or in industrial sectors involving medical/diagnostic devices, medical/surgical devices, biocides or plant protection products.

Competences associated with the function:

• applies knowledge in the chemical, analytical, biochemical, pharmacological, toxicological, pharmaceutical and technological fields that allow to address, with a multidisciplinary approach, the entire sequence of the complex process that, starting from the design and optimisation of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of new chemical entities, leads to the development of new drugs, to the formulation, production, control and registration of new medicines.

Career options:

• researcher in pharmaceutical or para-pharmaceutical industries and laboratories (production workshops for chemicals used in medicine);
• researcher in laboratories of the baby food and dietetic industry, medical devices, supplements, medicated feed supplements, phytopharmaceuticals, cosmetic laboratories, laboratories for bromatological and product analyses, universities and national and international public and private research centres;
• technical director in pharmaceutical and health product industries (requires enrolment in the Professional Register of Pharmacists).

Function in a working context:

• prepares, controls, stocks and dispenses medicines in public or private pharmacies and hospital facilities;
• dispenses health products (dietary, herbal, medical) veterinary products in local parapharmacies and large-scale retail trade (GDO) outlets.

Competences associated with the function:

• applies knowledge of medicines and the substances used in their manufacture;
• applies knowledge of pharmaceutical technology and the physical, chemical, biological and microbiological control of medicines;
• applies knowledge of the metabolism and the therapeutic and adverse effects of medicines and their use;
• ability to evaluate scientific data concerning medicines so as to be able to provide appropriate information on that basis;
• ability to intervene in pharmacovigilance pathways;
• applies legislative-regulatory and deontological knowledge;
• ability to continually update in order to meet the needs of patients and the organisational and operational requirements of the National Health Service (NHS);
• ability to perform support services for NHS activities.

Career options:

• profession of pharmacist in public (director or collaborator) or private (owner, director or collaborator) territorial pharmacies, hospital facilities (hospitals, private nursing homes and retirement homes), parapharmacies and large-scale retail structures;
• pharmacist/manager at hospital or territorial ASL facilities;
• director of galenical workshops;
• sales manager at wholesale drug distribution structures.

Function in a working context:

• carries out medical-scientific information in the field of drugs, medical-surgical aids, diagnostic products, dietary products, health products and veterinary products;
• updates staff in the pharmaceutical industry, both internally and in the field, and health professionals in the public and private sectors on the characteristics and properties of drugs and health products in general, in order to ensure their correct use.

Competences associated with the function:

• ability to provide information on the active ingredient, pharmaceutical form, technological characteristics, methods of use, optimal dosage, therapeutic efficacy, toxicity, and contraindications and interferences between drugs;
• to provide knowledge of pharmacovigilance and pharmacoepidemiology;
• ability to provide ethical and legislative standards, both national and European, in order to promote the correct use of drugs;
• ability to provide information on chemical characteristics, indications, degree of accuracy and sensitivity of diagnostic products.

Career options:

• medical scientific informant on human or veterinary medicines, medical/surgical devices and biomedical products;
• expert in the marketing department of companies marketing dietetic, health and nutraceutical products.

Function in a working context:

• conducts research, tests, experiments and qualitative and quantitative analyses of natural or synthetic substances, with identification of chemical composition and variations and application of investigation methods, including innovative ones.

Competences associated with the function:

• ability to perform analyses or tests;
• ability to perform chemical syntheses;
• ability to perform purification of synthetic and natural products, expression purification and protein characterisation;
• ability to manage/coordinate laboratory activities.

Career options:

• chemical and biochemical analyst;
• bromatological chemist;
• toxicological chemist;
• laboratory manager (requires enrolment in Section A of the Professional Register of Chemists).