IPhO News

Fellowship Sponsor Company: ECIR Medical Communications

Function/Discipline: Medical Strategy & Communications

Fellowship Years: 2016-2017

Alma Mater: University of Florida College of Pharmacy, Class of 2016

My interests to provide patient care on a global scale formed during my first year in pharmacy school. I discovered my passion for population-based healthcare through my local and national involvement in AMCP, including the P&T Competition. Drawn to exciting nontraditional pharmacy routes, I became eager to explore unique ways that pharmacists provide value in the healthcare system and had the privilege of completing a rotation at the FDA. This experience allowed me to interact with policy leaders, introduced me to policy on clinical trial design, sharpened my holistic view of drug evaluation, and ultimately led to my decision to pursue a challenging and rewarding career in the pharmaceutical industry.

Fellowship Sponsor Company: MedImmune/AstraZeneca

Function/Discipline: Clinical Development

Fellowship Years: 2016-2018

Alma Mater: University of Maryland, Class of 2016

As the middle child and daughter of a career diplomat who has five children, born and raised in Cameroon, Switzerland, China, Saudi Arabia and France, I am always eager to explore opportunities, discover new things and distinguish myself.

On Saturday, March 25, 2017, 200 students from around the country assembled in San Francisco for IPhO's 4th Annual National Student Event, hosted by University of the Pacific's IPhO chapter.

Student leaders from many of IPhO’s 48 student chapters attended the E-board National Assembly, featuring an update on the exciting future plans IPhO has for the growing national network of student chapters.

Company and Department: Janssen, Medical Communications/Medical Affairs

Current Role: Medical Communication Specialist/Medical Writer: Hematology-Oncology

Alma Mater: Long Island University, Class of 2016

In recent times, career choices for pharmacists have evolved significantly. There are now many different areas in the healthcare system that pharmacists can work in. However, most students are not exposed to all the available opportunities during pharmacy school. After very detailed research on all types of different roles pharmacists can hold in the pharmaceutical industry, I knew that is where I wanted to pursue my career. To gain more exposure, I joined an organization related to pharmaceutical industry at my school. This organization helped me understand the roles and responsibilities of a pharmacist working in the industry. I later became a vice president of the organization, which allowed me to develop my leadership skills and use my knowledge to educate other students about industry career opportunities.

Fellowship Sponsor Company: Merck

Function/Discipline: Clinical Development (Late-Stage) - Oncology

Fellowship Years: 2016-2018

Alma Mater: Temple University, Class of 2016

My passion to pursue pharmacy and the pharmaceutical industry was the result of a very sad and life-changing experience. I was volunteering in a small town in Iran called “Bam” after a large earthquake struck the city. Many were left without adequate medical assistance, while facing a shortage of medical supplies and medications. I was studying Engineering at the time and never thought I’d change gears, but I did!

Company: Novocure
Current Role: Senior Vice President of the Americas
Alma Mater: University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Class of 2001

The driving force behind my career choices and professional advancement has been my gnawing desire to learn and to make a difference. My curiosity in life sciences drove me to pursue academic training in Pharmacy. Early on during my graduate training I wanted to learn more about non-traditional pathways where pharmacists could make an impact. Upon graduation I applied to a number of Fellowship programs in marketing, regulatory affairs and managed care. Much to my disappointment I was not selected by any of my top choices. I subsequently pursued residency programs in Medical Communications which landed me at Roche Labs. An important lesson I learned through the interviewing process for Fellowship programs was that there were many gaps in my skills and understanding of how the industry functioned.

With the increasingly prominent impact of social media on the daily lives of today’s society, one would be surprised to find that only a small handful of pharmaceutical companies utilize these new media markets. A major reason for this stems from the FDA’s ambiguous regulation of Internet and social media, leaving regulatory professionals with the task of making unclear interpretations from Draft Guidance documents and Warning Letters. Nevertheless, a recent study has shown that between 2013 and 2016, some of the top Pharma companies have strengthened their Twitter followership by nearly 300% while also increasing the average number of tweets by 530%.¹ Clearly, pharmaceutical firms are beginning to embrace social media, and moving forward, it is important to recognize the regulatory challenges that come with the increased scope of these new platforms.

Research led by IPhO National Intern and Oregon State University Chapter President, Marine Schmitt, spanning approximately one year culminated in a poster presentation at the ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting on December 6, 2016. An encore presentation of the research can be found in the Scholarly Publications section of the IPhO website.

The project analyzed industry-related courses offered by Colleges of Pharmacy throughout the United States by reviewing student handbooks, course catalogs, and course syllabi. Relevant courses were categorized by topics of industry relevance including: HEOR, Preclinical Development, Clinical Development, Regulatory Affairs, Marketing and Medical Affairs. If courses provided a broad overview of pharmacists’ roles in industry, they were categorized as general industry courses.

Importantly, the results confirmed that the prevalence of industry-relevant courses is significantly higher in regions of highest geographical industry concentration. The highest percentage (52%) of pharmacy schools offering industry-relevant courses are located along the east coast, while the lowest percentage (14%) are located in the Pacific Northwest. Overall, 41% of colleges of pharmacy offered one or more industry-relevant courses, with the most common (26%) topic being Health Economics and Outcomes Research (HEOR).

Fellowship Sponsor Company: Pfizer (Rutgers)

Function/Discipline: Oncology Medical Affairs

Fellowship Years: 2016-2018

Alma Mater: University of Southern California, Class of 2016

I first encountered pharmacists working in industry long before pharmacy school. I was fortunate enough to discover the world of healthcare consulting agencies after obtaining my undergraduate degree from University of California at Berkeley. I majored in biochemistry and was fascinated by the mechanisms of action of different medications. Working for companies that provided deliverables for biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies opened my eyes to how industry operates. I worked primarily in drug reimbursement and eventually transitioned to work full time for one of our clients in South San Francisco, Genentech, on the commercial side of the business.

During the recent Midyear Meeting in Las Vegas, IPhO and its National Fellows Council hosted an exciting event for Fellows of all Fellowship Programs in the US to network, and to learn more about how to get a full time position post-fellowship. Moderated by IPhO Executive Director Jim Alexander, the program featured a series of roundtable discussions with successful fellowship alumni and other industry executives who shared their insights and guidance on how to pursue a full-time position within industry.

The IPhO National Fellows Council would like to thank the following table discussion leaders for volunteering their time and sharing their key insights:

• Adrienne Aiello, Manager, Scientific Publications, Sanofi Genzyme
  (Alumna, Rutgers/Bayer Fellowship)
• Toni Burke, Associate Manager, Clinical Supply Management, Gilead
• Kevin Kerr, Manager, Clinical Development, Allergan
  (Alumnus, USC/Allergan Fellowship
• Kimberly Lehman, Associate Director, Immuno-Oncology Medical Scientist, Bristol-Myers Squibb
  (Alumna, Rutgers/BMS Fellowship)
• Shane McGann, Manager, Regulatory Affairs, Agios
  (Alumnus, MCPHS/Genzyme Fellowship)
• John O'Brien, Associate Manager, Clinical Supply Management, Gilead
  (Alumnus, MCPHS/Pfizer Fellowship)
• Alexander Schepart, Senior Manager, Medical Affairs, Pfizer
  (Alumnus, Rutgers/Pfizer Fellowship)
• Elvis Osei Tutu, Manager, Global Regulatory Affairs, GlaxoSmithKline
  (Alumnus, UNC/GSK Fellowship)
• Winnie Young, Manager, Clinical Supply Management, Gilead
  
  

IPhO would like to thank Gilead for its generous support of this event!

Stay tuned for more IPhO networking events in the near future!

Fellowship Sponsor Company: Sanofi (Rutgers)

Function/Discipline: Strategic Marketing

Fellowship Years: 2016-2018

Alma Mater: St. John's University, Class of 2016

During my time at St. John’s University College of Pharmacy, I was employed by a retail pharmacy chain, as many student pharmacists are. Because of my love of communicating with people, patient counseling was always something I thoroughly enjoyed and took pride in at my hectic 24/7 store. To put this into perspective, I was selected by my university to compete nationally in the 2015 APhA-ASP National Patient Counseling Competition in California. In addition to my self-proclaimed “people skills,” I knew I had creative tendencies with a strategic mindset, and wanted to find employment that best utilized these skills. I was able to leverage my strengths to obtain marketing jobs with the CEO of a nutraceutical company and the VP of a continuing education company. These collective experiences showed me that it was possible to combine both my knowledge of health care and my desire for creativity and innovation. During my pharmacy rotations, I was fortunate enough to spend time at the FDA, Pfizer, and American Regent. At these sites, I was exposed to completely new aspects of pharmacy and built a solid foundation for understanding how the pharmaceutical industry functions. I developed an appreciation for industry, determined that this was where my skills best fit, and finally concluded that the pharmaceutical industry was the right career path for me.

Fellowship Sponsor Company: Regeneron

Function/Discipline: Clinical Operations, Clinical Science, Regulatory Affairs

Fellowship Years: 2016-2018

Alma Mater: University of Michigan, Class of 2016

When I first stepped foot into pharmacy school, I did not realize that the pharmaceutical industry is a viable career option for pharmacists. Then, I completed a summer internship in Clinical Science at Takeda Pharmaceuticals after my P2 year. I owe much of my current success to my mentor at Takeda, who opened my eyes to the world of clinical research and helped me solidify my plans upon graduation. At Takeda, I connected with PharmDs across different departments and learned about their function and roles. What I learned is that there is no right or one linear way to go into the pharmaceutical industry.