What do Pharmaceutical Engineers do?
Pharmaceutical engineers are involved in the conception, design, construction, and operation of research facilities and manufacturing plants, where they also are involved in the conception, design, scale-up, manufacturing, and labeling and packaging processes
in the conversion of chemical and biological materials into valuable pharmaceuticals and pharmaceutical therapies. They have to implement FDA regulations, validation assurance (VA), quality control, and maintain Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) compliant facilities. In addition to the safety of the end product, they have to maintain a level of personal and environmental safety.
Careers
Opportunities for jobs are international and there is a high demand for pharmaceuticals and the engineers who produce and manufacture them. There are a wide variety of careers in each sector of the industry including research of new drugs and drug delivery systems, scale-up process, manufacturing, labeling and packaging, facility design, management, sales, and education. Although many job inquiries are not listed as pharmaceutical engineering positions, they may be listed under several different engineering and science positions, such as chemical engineering, bioprocesses engineering, chemistry, and biochemistry, among others, depending upon education and experience, as well as the job description.
Skills needed to become a Pharmaceutical Engineer
A good standard to go by is the Certified Pharmaceutical Industry Professional™ (CPIP™). CPIP™ is a credential awarded to an individual based on competency in the pharmaceutical industry. It is awarded by the International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineers (ISPE). The following are the necessary areas by which the credential is given:
• Technical Knowledge: broad industry knowledge and experience including
o Product development
o Production systems
o Facilities and equipment
o Information systems
o Supply chain management
o Quality systems
o Regulatory compliance
• Leadership and Professionalism: cost-effective, risk-based
• Integration/Innovation/Change Advocacy
• Quality and Continuous Improvement Focus
Pharmaceutical engineers are involved in the conception, design, construction, and operation of research facilities and manufacturing plants, where they also are involved in the conception, design, scale-up, manufacturing, and labeling and packaging processes
in the conversion of chemical and biological materials into valuable pharmaceuticals and pharmaceutical therapies. They have to implement FDA regulations, validation assurance (VA), quality control, and maintain Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) compliant facilities. In addition to the safety of the end product, they have to maintain a level of personal and environmental safety.
Careers
Opportunities for jobs are international and there is a high demand for pharmaceuticals and the engineers who produce and manufacture them. There are a wide variety of careers in each sector of the industry including research of new drugs and drug delivery systems, scale-up process, manufacturing, labeling and packaging, facility design, management, sales, and education. Although many job inquiries are not listed as pharmaceutical engineering positions, they may be listed under several different engineering and science positions, such as chemical engineering, bioprocesses engineering, chemistry, and biochemistry, among others, depending upon education and experience, as well as the job description.
Skills needed to become a Pharmaceutical Engineer
A good standard to go by is the Certified Pharmaceutical Industry Professional™ (CPIP™). CPIP™ is a credential awarded to an individual based on competency in the pharmaceutical industry. It is awarded by the International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineers (ISPE). The following are the necessary areas by which the credential is given:
• Technical Knowledge: broad industry knowledge and experience including
o Product development
o Production systems
o Facilities and equipment
o Information systems
o Supply chain management
o Quality systems
o Regulatory compliance
• Leadership and Professionalism: cost-effective, risk-based
• Integration/Innovation/Change Advocacy
• Quality and Continuous Improvement Focus
