IPhO News

Company and Department: Abbvie, US Medical Affairs
Current Role: Senior Medical Science Liaison
Alma Mater: Florida A&M University, Class of 2007

My industry journey began with an internship at AstraZeneca the summer before my third year of pharmacy school. I pursued the internship after my older brother (who did not have a medical background) obtained a position as a sales representative with a leading pharmaceutical company. He told me that pharmacists worked at his organization to provide medical training and support for their representatives. I had no idea that these types of roles existed for pharmacists and was intrigued by the thought of being able to use my clinical knowledge to educate non-medical industry employees. I discovered that AstraZeneca offered a program specifically geared toward exposing pharmacy students to various functional areas. It was during my AZ marketing internship that I learned about other departments such as Medical Information and Regulatory Affairs.

Wednesday, April 15, 2015 (5:45pm Registration, 7-9 pm event)

Please Register here: http://www.industrypharmacist.org//rsvp/MCPHSPharmD2015

The IPhO MCPHS University Boston Student Chapter is pleased to present The Second Annual:
Emerging World of the Industry Pharmacist.  This is an opportunity for you to connect with other
industry pharmacists, fellows, and students in the Boston area.

In addition to offering some terrific networking opportunities, the event will feature a keynote
address from Pritesh Gandhi, PharmD, VP Medical Affairs for Alnylam and a panel discussion
moderated by IPhO Executive Director James Alexander.  The panel features a diverse group of
industry pharmacists and academic faculty in the greater Boston area, including:

•    Brian Fulling, Senior Manager, Clinical Research, Pfizer
•    Kristy Grimm, Senior Director, Global Medical Affairs, Vertex
•    Stephanie Melillo, Senior Manager, Regulatory Affairs, Biogen Idec
•    Chris Robertson, Associate Director, Medical Training, Biogen Idec
•    Professor Bernard Tyrrell, Associate Dean, MCPHS University

Panelists will be discussing the critical challenges and opportunities for industry pharmacists in
today’s biopharmaceutical and pharmaceutical industry.

Attendance is free!  Space is limited and pre-registration is required, so reserve your spot today!

Have you ever left a meeting or conference thinking, “I wish I had said something?” 

You are not alone. People often come up to me and confess that they are hesitant to speak up at meetings. Others mention that when they do say something, no one responds. 

In a recent article in the New York Times, Sharon Napier, CEO of Partners + Napier, stressed the importance of voicing your opinion when she said: “Don’t sit quietly and think about things and maybe whisper to somebody or tell people afterward. Put yourself out there, and get involved in the conversation.” 

Check your behavior against this list of 10 key assertiveness points to make sure your voice is heard. Do You:

1. Prepare ahead of time? It is easier to say something when you have practiced. Think about the meeting and what may be discussed. Familiarize yourself with what you want to say so that you can say it with confidence when the topic comes up.

2. Establish your presence? Walk into the room as though you belong there. Greet people. If you feel comfortable being in the room, you will feel more confident about saying something at the meeting.

3. Understand the consequences of not speaking up? You want your bosses, colleagues, and customers to view you as competent and credible. If you don’t speak up, they don’t know what you know, and you can become overlooked and irrelevant. Jenny Ming, chief executive of the clothing chain Charlotte Russe, was also quoted in the New York Times article. She said: “What I learned is that you can’t assume that people know what you’re thinking or what you want in your career. You have to speak up.”

4. Speak early? The longer you wait to give your opinion, the harder it will be to speak up. Make a comment or ask a question near the beginning of the meeting.

5. Make your point without asking permission? Do you say, “May I make a point?” When you do, it’s easy for others to think, “No.” Either say, “I have a point,” or simply speak out with your comments.

6. Speak loudly enough to be heard? If you speak softly, your comments may not register with others. Practice increasing your volume. Initially, you may feel that you are shouting, but the chances are that you are finally speaking loudly enough to be heard. Additional information on verbal and nonverbal communication can be found in my latest two books, The Power of Positive Confrontation and The Essentials of Business Etiquette.

7. Know how to interrupt? Yes, I know, interrupting is generally frowned upon. Yet, in some situations, if you don’t interrupt you won’t get to speak. The easiest way to interrupt is when the other person takes a breath. You then speak up quickly, acknowledge what the person said, and add your thoughts.

8. Avoid giving too much detail? If you belabor your points, people will tune out. Say what you need to say in as few words as necessary.

9. Control your body language? Do not wring your hands or play with paper clips or rubber bands. They become distractions, and take away from what you are saying. Make sure you look people in the eye. You appear more confident when you make eye contact.

10. Eliminate self-discounting statements? Don’t start your comments with, “It’s only my opinion,” or similar statements. Don’t conclude with, “I don’t know. What do you think?” If you discount yourself, it’s easy for others to discount you as well.

Pachter & Associates provides training and coaching on presentation skills. For additional information, contact Joyce Hoff at 856.751.6141 or joyce@pachter.com

The ability to make an effective presentation is an important business skill. As a presenter, you need to get your point across. And if you do so effectively, not only does your audience gain information, but you look good.

Yet many people, at all levels, are unsure how to appear confident and credible when speaking in front of others. Over the past few months, even seasoned professionals have been among those I have coached on presentation skills.

Whether you are a manager explaining new programs to your employees, a chief financial officer giving a financial update to the media, or a vice president speaking in front of your board of directors, following these 10 suggestions will help you achieve presentation success:

1. Know your audience. Learn as much as you can about your audience before the presentation. How much do they already know about your topic? What more do they want to know? If you address the needs and concerns of the people in your audience, they are more likely to listen to you.  

2. Practice out loud. You want to hear how the presentation sounds. Saying it in your head isn’t good enough. Is it structured logically? Are you using transitions between points? Does the presentation make sense? Hearing the speech as your audience will hear it helps you to clarify the areas you need to work on.

3. Dress for the presentation. Your attire can help you appear as a self-assured person. Think about your audience members and what they will be wearing. Dressing slightly better than your audience adds to your credibility.

4. Mingle before the presentation. When you can, meet the participants. Go up to people, shake hands, introduce yourself, and welcome these individuals to the presentation. This rapport-building helps people connect with you, and allows you to feel more comfortable with them.

5. Establish your credibility. Make sure the audience knows why you are qualified to talk about the subject. If you are not already known to the audience, or if nobody introduces you, give a self-introduction at the beginning of your presentation.

6. Pay attention to your nonverbal communication. Use good posture, and look at people in the audience. Remember that gestures bring your words to life, but avoid nervous fiddling, such as playing with a pen or rubber band. Speak loudly enough to be heard. (Additional information on communication can be found in my new book, The Essentials of Business Etiquette.)

7. Don’t discount yourself. Avoid comments that belittle you or your talk. These include such statements as, “I hope I don’t bore you, but I am going to talk about…” or “I know you didn’t come here to hear me.” Be careful with filler words. If the audience is counting the number of times you say um, they are not listening to what you have to say – and too many filler words make you appear unprepared and nervous, too.

8. Tell stories. Stories bring your presentation to life. When discussing a specific point, concept, product or service, tell a story about someone who proves your point or benefits from your service. Your audience will remember the story, and as a result your presentation. (See my previous blog, Tell Tale: Bring Your Presentation to Life, for additional information on using stories.)  

9. Use slides to enhance your presentation. Slides should supplement and support your talk, not supplant it. They are not your presentation! Limit the information on each slide.

10. Anticipate the questions. Think about the questions that you may be asked, and know how you will respond. If you prepare ahead of time for every negative or harsh comment you can imagine, you are less likely to be caught off guard.

Pachter & Associates provides training and coaching on presentation skills. For additional information, contact Joyce Hoff at 856.751.6141 or joyce@pachter.com

-- But, I didn't mean it that way.
-- I don't understand why he responded so negatively.
-- People always tell me I have a tone. I don't get it!

A common concern people have expressed in my writing classes is that they appear (inadvertently) harsh in their emails. As the above quotes indicate, they don't realize that their word choice and what they include in their emails affect how people interpret their comments.

In an email, you can't rely on nonverbal communication to soften harsh wording, since recipients don't see your face or hear your voice.  Following these seven suggestions will help you to eliminate any unpleasant tone in your writing:

1. Include a salutation. Though not technically required in an email, a salutation is a positive way to begin. It makes you sound friendlier.  A simple "Hi Sally” or Dear Sally" will start your message on a more pleasant note.  Also use a closing comment, such as “Best regards” or “Thanks.”

2. Use positive, not negative, wording. Many emails acquire a harsh tone simply based on the writer's choice of words. Avoid negative words such as failure, wrong, blame, or neglected. Use please and thank you. Emphasize the positive. Listen to the difference in these two statements: “We will be able to finish the work by December 1” versus “We won’t be able to finish the work until December 1.” The meaning is the same, but the second statement makes the information sound negative.

3. Don’t use all caps. Occasionally, I will have someone in my class who doesn't know that writing emails in all capital letters is the equivalent of shouting. People don't like to be yelled out. STOP DOING IT.

4. Go easy on emphasis techniques. Using bold or bright-colored fonts (red, purple, etc.), large fonts, or too many exclamation marks can make you appear aggressive.

5. Make your document easy to read. Do not include too much detail. Don’t keep repeating the same information – you may insult your reader. Use only as many words as necessary to convey your meaning. You want to maintain your reader’s interest so that he or she reads the whole document. Have margins. Use short paragraphs, and vary the length of your sentences.

6. Eliminate any curse words. This is so obvious a point that I shouldn't have to mention it. Unfortunately, my experience has taught me otherwise.

7. Read the email out loud before you hit send. If what you have written sounds harsh to you, it will sound harsh to your reader. Review the above six items, and change whatever is necessary in your email to make it sound less severe. Make sure you do this step – it is important.

Numbers 2 and 6 also apply to eliminating a harsh tone when you speak. Additional information on “polite and powerful” wording can be found in my latest books, The Power of Positive Confrontation (Da Capo, 2014) and The Essentials of Business Etiquette (McGraw Hill, 2013).

Pachter & Associates provides training and coaching on communication skills. For additional information, contact Joyce Hoff at 856.751.6141 or joyce@pachter.com

Contributed by Lauren Bartolome, IPhO Student Pharmacist Intern and President, University of Florida IPhO Chapter

Sometimes the more novel approaches to career development are approached cautiously. Students, fellows, industry and  experienced pharmacists of all practice settings are not accustomed to utilizing experienced coaches in order to achieve their career goals.  As a consequence, many aspiring and experienced industry pharmacists are  missing out on a valuable resource: the IPhO coaching service.

One of my assigned intern projects was to begin measuring the effectiveness of the IPhO Coaching Service in a pilot outcomes study. Under the guidance IPhO’s VP of Professional Development & Coaching, I developed a ten- question survey to measure satisfaction of participants including:  achieving their career goals, assistance in customizing their resume, identifying their strengths and weaknesses,removing any obstacles to advancing their industry career, and providing honest feedback and practical guidance.

One IPhO Coaching credit is redeemable for a 45-minute online video session. Pricing varies and is heavily discounted for IPhO student and experienced industry pharmacist members. Non- members can also participate, however the cost is not discounted. The coach meets with the participant online through SKYPE or Face Time and this method works very efficiently and easily. The agenda of the session depends on the participant’s priorities, which may include an evaluation of strengths and weaknesses and developing a personal career action plan. The coach is dedicated to providing honest feedback and practical guidance in order to assure the participant’s coaching objectives are met. For those with less experience in the industry, a coach may assist in resume review; those experienced in the industry may receive executive coaching to remove obstacles to higher performance.

Participation in the IPhO Coaching Service has been brisk especially for students, fellows, and early onset professionals in industry or those interested in making a career change. There are multiple coaches to select from based on the level of experience of the participant.  Coaching participants have utilized as few as 1 and as many as 5 coaching credits.

A separate follow –up report will be forthcoming to describe the findings of this initial pilot outcomes study.

As a student pharmacist intern and being assigned to working on the initial measurement of this unique professional pharmacy organization service, I was very interested in participating myself.

I found that the IPhO coaching service exceeded my expectations.  As a student pharmacist, my coach worked with me to customize my resume with industry specific language that relates to industry employers.   Here in Florida, we do not have direct access to major pharmaceutical companies, and industry rotations are extremely rare. In lieu of industry rotations, my coach identified rotational experiences that would provide transferable skills to industry to improve my chances to gain direct entry into industry or secure an industry fellowship.

Having a professional and confidential industry coach in which I can use to assist me in preparing to pursue an industry career is invaluable and boosts my confidence that I will be able to achieve my professional goals.

Company and Department: Synageva BioPharma, Commercial Operations
Current Role: Senior Regional Business Director
Alma Mater: Northeastern University, Bouvé College of Health Sciences, Boston; Class of 1988

Having grown up in an extended family of pharmacists, pharmacy was initially a natural career decision for me. I will be forever grateful that one of my pharmacy professors suggested that I apply for a summer internship working for a pharmaceutical company. I remember the morning I received a call from Mr. Joe Dilger at Parke-Davis asking me if I would like to participate in their summer internship program, which I graciously accepted. Unbeknownst to me at the time, that phone call would change my career path forever.

While most student pharmacists applying for Fellowships are required to provide their CV, that doesn't mean that they should not have a 1-2 page resume and bring it with them to midyear.

Midyear interviews are usually no more than 30-45 minutes and often shorter. Industry sponsor companies are interviewing non-stop from 9am-5pm throughout midyear. This results in both interviewees and interviewers getting fatigued. If you bring copies of your resume to midyear and offer it to the interviewer initially and ask them if it would be easier for to conduct the interview with the shorter resume version, they are very likely to say yes! This will make the interview easier for them and easier for you. The benefit of a 2-page resume over a multi-page CV is that it allows you to include only the most industry-relevant information. Inclusion of every single pharmacy practice experience no matter how irrelevant it may be to industry is not necessary in a resume.

While use of CVs is common in academia, it is less often used by industry employers. Therefore I recommend having both.

In a recent New York Times article, “Pass the Word: The Phone Call Is Back,” reporter Jenna Wortham wrote that her friends had started “…picking up their cellphones for an unusual purpose: They wanted to talk. And I started answering when they called.”

Her article highlights that the need for vocal contact is still alive and well. And for some of us, of course, the phone call never went away.

My favorite illustration of the importance of phone calls comes from the television show The Big Bang Theory. In one episode, the star character, Sheldon, is having trouble getting in contact with his girlfriend, and says to his roommate, “I’ve tried email, video chat, tweeting her, posting on her Facebook wall, texting her…nothing.”

His roommate asks, “Did you try calling her on the telephone?

Sheldon replies, “Ah, the telephone.”

As he starts to dial her number, he says to his roommate, “In your own simple way, you may be the wisest of us all.”

Talking to someone on the phone is still an important way to communicate in business – you can get immediate feedback/acknowledgement, you can eliminate the back-and-forth aspects of texts or emails, and you can have the sound of your voice enhance your message.

You can also have more in-depth discussions. My former social media intern always calls me when she needs to discuss her next career move, although she usually emails or texts me with her regular communication updates.

Here are six suggestions for using smartphones smartly in business:   

1. Use a greeting, and give your name when answering the phone. Remember, it is a business call – you want to sound professional. Say “Hello” or “Good morning,” and then your full name, rather than just your first name.  You also need to include a verb – as in “Brittany Jones speaking,” or “This is Jake Jones.”  (Of course, if you know it is your colleague, you can simply say “Hi.”)

2. Don’t place your phone on the table when meeting with someone.Since the smartphone has become so much a part of people’s lives, the phone is always “at the ready.” People put it on the table and don’t even think about it. This is rude. How does it look to the other person? It tells the person with whom you are meeting that you are so ready to drop him or her to talk with someone else, or to respond to an email or text! Research has shown that the presence of the phone inhibits conversation. (Additional guidelines for smartphones can be found in my new book, The Essentials of Business Etiquette.)

3. Do not use a Bluetooth headset in the office. It looks like a cockroach in your ear. (Yes, I do have strong opinions about this.) I am not talking about the hands-free headset that receptionists use. I am talking about headsets often used when people are walking and talking, making you think they are talking to themselves. Or even worse, you think they are talking to you, and may start to respond.  This thoughtless behavior by the headset-wearer is just rude.  

4. Use voicemail professionally. Many people don’t leave messages when making personal calls. They know that people will see that they called, and call them back. In business, people do leave messages. If you are the one leaving the message, make your points in as few words as necessary. If you ramble, people are likely to stop listening. Also, the outgoing message on your system – the one asking people to leave a message – needs to be appropriate. Saying, “Hey, you’ve reached me. You know the drill,” is not okay. Let people know the name of the person they have reached, and that you will call them back.  

5. Don’t speak too loudly. People still need to be reminded to speak in a quiet, conversational voice when they are on the phone.  If the people around you are giving you evil stares, chances are you need to lower your volume.

6. Do not make blanket excuses.  When sending emails from their smartphones, some people add a generic message at the end, such as: Please excuse typos and the brevity of this message. Sent from my mobile device.Mentioning possible mistakes only seems to highlight any that you have made. Take the time to proof and correct your messages before you send them.

Pachter & Associates provides training and coaching on business communication. For additional information, contact Joyce Hoff at joyce@pachter.com or 856.751.6141.

Company and Department: GlaxoSmithKline, Commercial Capabilities
Current Role: Scientific Knowledge Manager
Alma Mater: University of the Sciences, Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, Class of 2006

Like many other industry pharmacists, my journey is a winding road. My career path has made gentle turns as I learned about myself and the keys to realizing satisfaction in my work. During my final year of school I identified that a “clinical role” intrigued me most and I set out to complete a residency.

Following graduation, I started a general practice residency at Christiana Care Health System in Delaware. I spent time in a number of different therapeutic areas and completed research and other longitudinal projects. During the research aspect of my residency, I gained experience in conducting research in cardiovascular disease. I enjoyed it very much and worked hard to complete the research project in time to be able to fully describe and leverage it during research fellowship program interviews.

By Arthur Graber, PharmD, Post-Doctoral Fellow at Bayer HealthCare

Have you been seeing more in the news recently about pharma mergers and tax-inversion deals?  This article will de-mystify and explain some of the background and rationale behind this recent phenomenon. 

Like most U.S. corporations, over the last 30 years many pharmaceutical companies have employed various strategies to reduce their tax burden to increase overall profitability and deliver earnings that are in line with shareholder expectations.  One of these tax strategies is known as “corporate tax inversion.”

A corporate inversion is a method that has been employed by U.S. based multinational companies to restructure operations in a manner that allows them to avoid or minimize certain U.S. taxes. Essentially, the corporation relocates its headquarters to a lower-tax nation, while still retaining its material operations in its higher-tax country of origin.  U.S.-based companies typically pay tax rate percentages in the mid-20s, while an inversion deal can reduce tax rate percentages to the teens or even lower.

Several U.S. pharmaceutical companies have been trying to acquire or merge with foreign pharma companies in so-called inversion deals designed to take advantage of lower tax rates in other countries.  A  Wall Street Journal article recently listed the following four examples:

• Shire PLC was in discussion with U.S. drug maker AbbVie Inc. about a potential $53.6 billion takeover.
• Mylan Inc. agreed to buy pharmaceutical assets from AbbVie's former parent, Abbott Laboratories, in a $5.3 billion deal that would create a new entity organized in the Netherlands.
• Salix Pharmaceuticals Ltd., of Raleigh, N.C., said it was buying the Cosmo Technologies unit of an Italian company and would domicile the combined company in Ireland.
• Medtronic Inc. agreed to pay $42.9 billion to buy Irish medical-device maker Covidien PLC.

Although there is a tax advantage for corporate inversion, an inverted company is subject to potential adverse tax consequences if, after the transaction they do not meet specific conditions. On September 22, 2014, the U.S. Treasury Department enacted several regulations that have made inversion abroad more difficult and reduce benefits to companies who have already done so. Specifically, the notice eliminated certain strategies that inverted companies currently use to access the overseas earnings of foreign subsidiaries of the U.S. company that inverts without paying U.S. tax.  

These changes are intended to:

• Prevent inverted companies from accessing a foreign subsidiary’s earnings while deferring U.S. tax through the use of creative loans, which are known as “hopscotch” loans
• Prevent inverted companies from restructuring a foreign subsidiary in order to access the subsidiary’s earnings tax-free Close a loophole to prevent an inverted companies from transferring cash or property from a CFC to the new parent to completely avoid U.S. tax
• Make it more difficult for U.S. entities to invert by strengthening the requirement that the former owners of the U.S. entity own less than 80 percent of the new combined entity.

Cross-border mergers can make the U.S. economy stronger and encourage foreign investment to flow into the United States; however the U.S. government feels that these transactions should be driven by genuine business strategies, not a desire to avoid U.S. taxes.

For more information on the specific changes and their effects, see: http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2014/09/22/treasury-fact-sheet-the-new-rules-on-tax-inversions/

Company and Department: Novartis Drug Safety and Epidemiology
Current Role: Drug Safety Specialist
Alma Mater: Rutgers University, Class of 2014

My industry journey started like many during my rotational experiences, but even prior to that my decision to become actively involved in student organizations enabled me to gain key insights into leadership that paved the way for me to become a successful professional upon graduation. Serving in various e-board positions and planning committee events helped me gain experience and grow as a young professional.

As a Chair and Advisor to the SNPhA Operation Immunization initiative, I developed skills such as problem solving, collaboration, and flexibility. As Public Relations Chair and Vice President of a new student organization on campus, ACCP, I learned the importance of perseverance, time management, and most importantly networking, which has continued to pay significant dividends at each step along the way so far.

FellowMatch powered by IPhO, a new tool for Fellowship sponsors to engage interested candidates, is available NOW!

Please visit here to learn more: http://www.industrypharmacist.org/fm_landing.php Several companies have already posted positions to be considered by the IPhO Student Network of over 1,000 students.

IPhO already has 12 very active student IPhO Chapters. Free to participating Felowship sponsors this year, FellowMatch is designed to match Fellowship Sponsors with Fellowship Candidates.

Sponsors can post open Fellowship positions through FellowMatch on the IPhO website, and any IPhO Student National Member will be able to submit requested materials describing their candidacy. FellowMatch serves as an advanced candidate screening tool for participating entities, helps students identify career opportunities of interest, and should help make existing interviewing and selection processes even more productive.

Questions? Email us using our contact form here or visit FAQs for FellowMatch, powered by IPhO here: http://www.industrypharmacist.org/fm_landing.php

Please spread the word to anyone who you think could benefit from this new service. Good luck to all who are "Matching!"

Company and Department: Seattle Genetics, Sales
Current Role: Senior Oncology Account Manager, Miami and Puerto Rico
Alma Mater: Rutgers University, Class of 2009

Early on as a student pharmacist, the ability to blend science and business attracted me towards a career in the pharmaceutical industry. During my time at Rutgers I pursued this interest by taking every opportunity I had to gain exposure to the industry and connect with professionals who had chosen this career path. As my days as a student neared an end, I felt I had put myself in a good position to hit the ground running after school as a freshly minted industry pharmacist.

Unfortunately, I initially was not able to obtain any industry fellowship or full time offers as the competition had reached such a high level. I found myself approaching graduation with more uncertainty than ever regarding where I would start my professional career. Nonetheless, I continued to leverage my network and kept looking for industry opportunities. A month later, a friend alerted me to a brand new Drug Safety & Surveillance Fellowship at J&J. I jumped on this late breaking fellowship opportunity and ultimately was extended an offer which I gladly accepted.

Company and Department: Novo Nordisk, Diabetes Field Medical Affairs
Current Role: Medical Liaison
Alma Maters: University of Minnesota, Class of 1994 (PharmD) and Arizona State University, Class of 2003 (MBA)

My path to the pharmaceutical industry demonstrates that you can arrive at your destination by taking different routes, and by traveling at different speeds.

Like many young adults, I changed my original major after my freshman year (from engineering to pharmacy) at the University of Minnesota. At that point in my pharmacy education, the biggest decision that my classmates and I faced was whether to obtain a Bachelor of Science or Doctor of Pharmacy degree. I decided to pursue a PharmD, which required one additional year. I graduated in 1994 and elected not to pursue a residency or fellowship which were not emphasized at that time.

Consumer research has consistently shown that pharmacists are one of the most trusted healthcare professionals. This applies to the traditional professional practices known to consumers and to other healthcare professionals such as community, hospital, and consultant pharmacy. However, the supply and demand of pharmacists in these traditional settings has fluctuated greatly in recent years, and lately it has been more difficult to find the right position upon graduation.

This is one of the reasons pharmacists are increasingly looking towards opportunities outside traditional pharmacy practice, such as those offered within the pharmaceutical industry. The newly licensed PharmD is considered a medication expert, having extensively studied pharmacology, pharmaceutics, and biochemistry in addition to rotating through clinical and community settings to provide direct patient care services and perform drug utilization and drug information reviews. Pharmacists can also apply their skills in the pharmaceutical industry setting, especially as companies gravitate towards more complex specialty medicines that require a higher level of sophistication from their professional employees. Just as other industries have turned toward professionals with a high level of technical expertise, the pharmaceutical sector may significantly benefit if they turn to pharmacy graduates to handle many departmental responsibilities.

In addition, the opportunity exists for pharmacy graduates to benefit pharmaceutical industry employers in other ways, including the opportunity to elevate their corporate image with consumers, healthcare providers, and health insurers.

Based upon this opportunity for pharmacy graduates and the pharmaceutical industry, the IPhO National Fellows Council is sponsoring the VIP Advocacy Challenge. This challenge goes out to all of the IPhO Student Chapters nationally, as an opportunity to increase the awareness and recognition among healthcare consumers, providers, payers, and industry employers of the critical contributions that pharmacy graduates are making within the pharmaceutical industry. Each IPhO chapter is being invited to develop an outreach platform that advocates for the contributions and benefits that industry pharmacists have in supporting the role of industry in improving patients’ quality of life.

The invitation of the VIP Advocacy Challenge has just recently been sent out to all IPhO Student Chapters and applications are to be completed by October 10, 2014. After application submission, feedback and support will be provided to chapters by the INFC, in order to ensure the success of student chapters’ projects and align challenge ideas with the goals of this advocacy challenge and the IPhO mission. Chapters will then have the opportunity to execute the project by March 15, 2015.

Student chapters will be eligible for recognition from the INFC and IPhO leadership team with participation in this challenge. One of the many benefits of this initiative will be the close collaboration between the INFC and each of the IPhO Student Chapters.

Authored By: Jonathan Douek, IPhO Student Pharmacist Intern and Temple PharmD Candidate 2017

Mary Alice Dwyer, PharmD, Vice President, Global Medical Excellence & Medical Affairs, AstraZeneca, Michael Toscani, PharmD, Rutgers Institute for Pharmaceutical Industry Fellowships, and Jack Bradley, PharmD, JD, Medical Director North America, Sobi, Inc., discuss the topic, "The impact of changing companies after a brief period of time."

Jill DeSimone, RPh, Head, US Oncology Commercial Unit, Merck, and Jack Bradley, PharmD, JD, Medical Director North America, Sobi, Inc., discuss "How can IPhO work with its constituents to advance the careers of industry pharmacists?"

Leadership Opportunities For Industry Pharmacists: Irene Laurora, PharmD, VP Global Medical Affairs, Bayer Healthcare, Katie MacFarlane, PharmD, Managing Partner, SmartPharma LLC., and Jill DeSimone, RPh, Head, US Oncology Commercial Unit, Merck, share their views on how to seize opportunities.