Abstract
Aims: To identify the key reasons why few pharmacy students opt for a career in the pharmaceutical industry.
Methods: A 17 item questionnaire was developed and distributed to final year undergraduates in UK schools of pharmacy. Respondents gave views on possible career choices using structured and open questions and a five point Likert scale.
Results: Questionnaires were returned from 219 final year pharmacy undergraduates. Seventy-one students expressed an interest in industrial pharmacy. Key attractions of the industry included a wide range of job opportunities and a research environment; key detractors included lack of patient contact and a perception that work would be dull, difficult and laboratory based.
Conclusion: Undergraduates do not have enough information concerning industrial pharmacy to be able to make informed judgements concerning opportunities in this sector.
Methods: A 17 item questionnaire was developed and distributed to final year undergraduates in UK schools of pharmacy. Respondents gave views on possible career choices using structured and open questions and a five point Likert scale.
Results: Questionnaires were returned from 219 final year pharmacy undergraduates. Seventy-one students expressed an interest in industrial pharmacy. Key attractions of the industry included a wide range of job opportunities and a research environment; key detractors included lack of patient contact and a perception that work would be dull, difficult and laboratory based.
Conclusion: Undergraduates do not have enough information concerning industrial pharmacy to be able to make informed judgements concerning opportunities in this sector.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 7-11 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | Pharmacy Education |
Volume | 8 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2008 |