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An industrial pharmacist's view

Julie Williams is an industrial pharmacist working for a large pharmaceutical company. She leads a regulatory group in chemistry, manufacturing and controls, and is also a pre-registration training manager and tutor.

Giving a voice to industrial pharmacists

Julie feels that the GPhC will have more impact on public perceptions of community and hospital pharmacists than of industrial pharmacists.

However, she hopes that industrial pharmacists will be given more of a voice: 'I hope our interests and views will be better represented. We may be a small part of the overall pharmacy community, but more integration and information-sharing can only benefit us all.'

Relevant guidance

The title 'industrial pharmacist' covers a range of different jobs, including formulation design and development, manufacturing and production, quality assurance, clinical trials support, project management, medical information and regulatory roles. Some pharmacists work solely in an industrial environment while others also practise in other fields. Julie hopes that if industrial pharmacists choose to register with the GPhC, they will be able to access relevant guidance and keep up to date with developments across the pharmacy sector.

Promoting professional development

Julie's own training needs and personal development are met by her employer, and therefore continuing professional development requirements can feel like a duplication of records maintained with her employer. However, she welcomes the new continuing focus on knowledge and skills: 'Giving organisations another reason to support their staff's professional development has to be a positive thing. It will also encourage individuals to look more closely at their personal training needs.'

Setting standards for education

Setting standards for education and training will be an important part of the GPhC's work. 'It sounds positive in terms of raising skills and consistency, which will benefit all sectors of the industry,' says Julie. 'As someone who is responsible for training pre-registration graduates, this is of personal interest to me.'

Reinvigorating the professional body

Julie hopes that the creation of the GPhC will help to support and reinvigorate the professional leadership body for pharmacists: 'It will help to delineate the regulatory responsibilities so that the professional leadership body can concentrate on supporting its members and promoting the different sectors of the profession.'