Research Affairs Associate

Tell us about your background?

Hi, my name is Amy. I'm about to start my role as a regulatory affairs associate at Estalis after completing my pharmacy degree and training year as a trainee pharmacist in a hospital. So, my role will involve working within a team to ensure that medicines meet regulatory requirements. And this is so that they can be made available to patients safely and effectively.

What attracted you to a career in the pharmaceutical industry?

So during my pharmacy degree, I really enjoyed learning about how medicines are developed and approved. And then also during my hospital training year, I saw the difference that new medicines can make to patients lives to address unmet needs in their care. And that made me realize that I wanted to contribute earlier in the process to bring new medicines to patients through a career in the pharmaceutical industry. And then also my university research project introduced me to the regulatory side of medicines which helped to spark my interest in regulatory affairs.

Did you find work experience useful when you were at school? What experience would you encourage others to get from their placement?

Work experience was one of the biggest reasons I discovered regulatory affairs. It was through placements in the pharmaceutical industry during my degree where I was able to see the different career opportunities available and understand what the roles actually involved. So that definitely gave me the confidence that this was the career path that I wanted to pursue. And I'd encourage anyone interested in the pharmaceutical industry to make the most of work experience and ask lots of questions, and speak to people working in different roles because you might discover a career that you hadn't heard of previously.

What advice would you give to someone seeking a career in the pharmaceutical industry?

I would say to find as many opportunities as you can by speaking to people already working in the industry to make those connections and attending career events. So things like career fairs and webinars so you can ask about career paths that interest you and work experience is really useful because it helps you to understand what different roles involve and whether they're the right fit for you as well. Before university I didn't know that regulatory affairs was a career option. So speaking to people and gaining that work experience introduced me to the role and that's why I would definitely encourage that as a way to explore the wide range of careers available in the pharmaceutical industry.