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I am a PharmD major and I graduate this year (2020), however, I am looking for non-traditional roles such as lobbying in healthcare

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Karen’s Answer

Hi, just wanted to let you know that there are many roles for pharmacists outside of just working in a pharmacy. I work for a health plan in product design, and we have many pharmacists who work for the health plan in different capacities. Some work on the Part D (pharmacy) benefit design, others work on the formulary (covered drug) design, and others may speak with members to ensure that they don't have any possible drug interactions. I would recommend that you speak with the staff at your school about non-traditional opportunities for pharmacists, and I'm sure you will find that there are many!
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JJ’s Answer


Have you considered applying to a pharmaceutical company as a medical liaison? Every company has many medical experts who work with doctors who have medical questions about drugs. Others are in the regulatory side. Some are in the lobbying side, but many of them are attorneys. It would be a great place to learn the landscape of the market and see what would suit you best.
All The Best,
JJ Batcheller
Thank you comment icon Thank you so much JJ! I have definitely thought about medical liaison as well and will continue to look into it. Erin
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Karl’s Answer

All great answers below...as someone who moved into Pharmaceutical medical affairs after years of practice and working with a lot of PharmDs, I would say it’s beneficial to bring some experience into the role like HEOR, managed care, population health, formulary management or clinical experience. These experiences can be obtained in a healthcare setting (hospital, insurance co, etc) or in an internship role with a Pharma company.
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Debi’s Answer

Great answer! Another great option if you like technology, training, and working towards a common goal, is the electronic medical record side. As organizations are converting to electronic documentation everyone within the organization needs to be trained on how to complete their work flow/roll in the electronic world. There are many openings in this area and it is rewarding. Such as working with a pharmacy Department as a subject matter expert and assisting in the design and implementation of the system.
Thank you comment icon Thank you so much Debi! This was definitely helpful. I am definitely more interested in the technology aspect Erin
Thank you comment icon Great! I hope this helps. Cerner is the platform I and most familiar with if you would like to research. Challenging and rewarding. Debi Hadden
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Chad’s Answer

Hi,

Similar to JJ's answer, I would consider seeking a Medical Science Liaison, or equivalent type of job with a pharmaceutical or biotech company. You will gain a lot of good experience. From there it can be easy to try different roles within the pharmaceutical industry to find what you enjoy best, such as working with payer groups, patient advocacy groups or governmental groups.

It never hurts to brush up on your business and Healthcare Economics information as well. There are several courses available on that topic.

Good Luck!
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Allie’s Answer

Hi Erin,

I currently work in the biotech space and see a lot of individuals with a PharmD. Similar to JJ's advice, I think a career in biotech or pharmaceuticals could suit your background! There's also the opportunity to consider healthcare/life sciences-based consulting work, if that's something that interests you. Let me know and I'd be happy to chat further!

Allie
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Dan’s Answer

Hi,

I think a good first step is to try and determine what aspects of pharmacy interest you. I currently working in the pharmaceutical industry. There is a plethora of positions in the industry but they vary greatly. Look into IPhO. It’s an industry pharmacist organization and touches on a lot of the different aspects.
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