For students in the UTS Master of Pharmacy, industry careers start early

When student Sanna Saleem got a job in the pharmaceutical sector, she was only 12 months into her postgraduate pharmacy degree.

The role with Autopak-Vetlab Group, a contract pharmaceutical manufacturer, came about through the UTS Pharmacy program’s vast professional networks.

“When I went for my job interview, they were really impressed with my degree and the education I’d received at UTS,” she says.

A health science graduate, Sanna was initially drawn to the UTS Master of Pharmacy because of its expansive approach to pharmacy education.

At the time, she didn’t know which branch of pharmacy she wanted to work in, but she could see the Master of Pharmacy would open the door to more than one option.

The course combines fundamental pharmacy theory with extensive clinical placement opportunities in real-world world community, hospital and industry pharmacy environments.

“UTS Pharmacy actually allows us to discover all the different professional environments that are available [in the pharmacy sector],” says Sanna.

“We can go to class, learn the clinical aspects of [the profession] and afterwards go into the workplace and actually apply it.”

From an industry placement to an industry job

Sanna also completed two elective subjects from the School’s Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) program, which is unique in Australia and the Asia-Pacific region. GMP ensures that pharmaceutical products are produced and controlled in line with relevant regulatory requirements. 

“[These subjects] enable students to study pharmacy and also enter the world of GMP without having to do a [standalone GMP] degree,” Sanna says.  

But it was during her industry placement with NEO Health OTC, an over-the-counter pharmaceutical product supplier, that Sanna knew she’d found her future career.

“I was lucky because I was able to pick the different areas of industry, I was interested in. For me, that was quality assurance and also regulatory affairs, [and] I was able to spend some time in both departments,” she says.

“I was able to learn about the quality [assurance] aspect of releasing a product into the market. Then, in regulatory affairs, [I learnt] about how they launch products into the market and also how they make sure the product remains registered.”  

Sanna’s GMP subjects proved to be highly applicable to the industry pharmacy setting. A core Master of Pharmacy subject, called Molecule to Market, also provided her with further in-depth learning about the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.  

Now, with six months to go until she completes her master’s degree, Sanna is already on the path towards a vibrant industry career.

“By the time I graduate, I’ll have a master’s degree, and [I’ll also] have experience [working as] a quality assurance associate, which gives me a very strong foothold [in the industry],” she says.