Defining pharmacovigilance and drug safety
Pharmacovigilance, also known as drug safety, is a crucial component of the life science industry , dedicated to the monitoring and evaluation of the safety of medications post-marketing.
With the complexity of drug development always on a rise, the need for effective pharmacovigilance has never been more essential.
The importance of Pharmacovigilance in the life sciences industry
Pharmacovigilance systems actively monitor and collect data reported by healthcare professionals and patients. Without these systems, adverse drug reactions (ADR’s) would likely be delayed or missing entirely, which would higher the number of people experiencing problems from medication.
Within the life science industry, it is very important to have a pharmacovigilance system in place to encourage both health care professionals and patients to report suspected problems. This helps broaden the knowledge of potential side effects and risks of the product, which is vital knowledge for the protection of users. Without this data, regulatory decision-making would be less informed, potentially leading to delays in taking necessary measures to protect public health.
What skills and experience do I need?
Pharmacovigilance has a very straightforward career path with the potential to work in both permanent and contracting capacities. Similar to most life science roles, the general academic requirement for pharmacovigilance vacancies are successful graduates with a pharmacy, medical or life science qualification.
What are the career opportunities within Pharmacovigilance?
If you have the required pharmacovigilance skills and you also have experience in the following sectors of the pharmaceutical industry, you will likely be sought after for both contract and permanent pharmacovigilance roles now and into the future:
- Senior/Drug Safety Associate
- Drug Safety Coordinator
- Pharmacovigilance Officer
- Senior Pharmacovigilance Scientist
- Associate Director
The initial salary levels are based on academic background, which differ from year to year, as well as from company to company.
Starting level titles tend to be Drug Safety Associate or Drug Safety Coordinator where the focus is mainly case processing; which involves doing data entry of cases; making sure drug identifiers are captured correctly, and the event reports are detailed enough for the evaluator to decide on the cause of the adverse event.
With 6-8 years’ work experience in these positions, you can easily become a Team Lead or Team manager, ultimately achieving the title of Associate Director, Director or Vice-President.
Italy Solution for engaging non-EU resource Pharmacovigilance has advanced immensely since the Covid-19 pandemic, which highlighted the need for a different approach to science and healthcare. The future of pharmacovigilance is to further develop and modernise processes, to ensure that they are as efficient and accurate as possible. As technology continues to advance, the future of pharmacovigilance does too ! Already playing a major role, technology will help this industry to analyse large volumes of data and pick up on even the most minor of issues.
Find Your Next Role in Pharmacovigilance
Finding the right pharmacovigilance jobs can sometimes become challenging. However, with QCS Staffing, you no longer have to stress about this! We have been connecting skilled professionals with top employers in the life science sector that offer competitive salaries and focus on innovation and learning. Send us your CV today and we will match you with your perfect role.
