Pharmacologist job profile | Prospects.ac.uk

Pharmacologists drive innovation in drug development and delivery, ensuring the safety and efficacy of pharmaceutical products and contributing to better healthcare outcomes for individuals

As a pharmacologist, you'll typically hold at least a Masters degree in pharmacology, pharmaceutical sciences or a related field. You'll investigate how drugs interact with biological systems, by carrying out research to predict what effect drugs and medicines might have on humans. This will include exploring the risk of potential addiction or unwanted side effects and why some people may react differently to others.

You'll need excellent research skills to design and conduct experiments, analyse complex data, and draw conclusions. A strong proficiency in laboratory techniques and scientific methodology will also be essential. Working collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams, sharing results with colleagues through meetings, attending conferences and writing reports and research papers will form a regular part of your work.

Types of pharmacologist

You can choose to specialise in an area of pharmacology, such as:

cardiovascular pharmacology
clinical pharmacology
neuropharmacology
psychopharmacology
veterinary pharmacology.

Pharmacological specialities are often grouped according to body systems but can also be subdivided based on other aspects of health and disease. Closely related fields include toxicology, biochemistry, neuroscience and drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics (DMPK).

Clinical pharmacologists work on the development and delivery of medicines to patients. This can either be as a clinical pharmacology scientist developing a medicine through clinical trials or as a medical doctor who will prescribe medicines directly to the patient. Clinical pharmacologists can work in academia, drug discovery companies, the NHS or private healthcare providers.

Responsibilities

As a pharmacologist, you'll need to:

design, plan and conduct controlled experiments and/or clinical trials to improve understanding of a drug's activity
collect, analyse and interpret data via computational means, high-tech measuring systems and other sophisticated equipment
make recommendations based on research findings
apply and develop the results of research to work through a variety of applications, such as new products, processes, techniques and practices
draw up proposals for future developmental tests
organise and oversee tests of new drugs and medicines, ensure quality control and secure approval for their use
liaise with regulatory authorities to ensure compliance with local, national and international regulations
plan, coordinate and supervise the duties of other technical staff and train or mentor early-career pharmacologists.

To disseminate the results of your work to others you'll need to:

write or contribute towards, original papers based on your findings for submission to specialist publications
attend scientific meetings and conferences to deliver presentations, give talks and listen to seminars from other pharmacologists and industry leaders
keep up to date with pharmacological research by reading academic articles and research papers, as well as specialist publications.

Salary

Salaries in industry are often higher than those in academia and tend to start at around £20,000 for entry-level positions.
Early career pharmacologists with one to four years' experience can expect to earn from £30,000, rising to £100,000 or more for senior leaders in industry, with significant experience.
In academia, PhD studentships usually pay a stipend of £19,237 (2023/2024), usually tax-free although some employers pay more.
Postdoctoral positions in academia typically range from £30,000 to £45,000, while lecturers, depending on qualifications and experience, earn between £40,000 and £60,000. Senior academics with significant experience can earn more than £80,000.

For current information on funding for research training, see UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)

Income figures are intended as a guide only.

Working hours

Typical hours of work are Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, though you may need to be available to monitor and manage experiments out of hours. Some organisations may include weekends and evenings, and a number of roles in this sector offer shift work.

Part-time work and flexible working arrangements are often available, and career breaks are sometimes possible.

As you become more experienced, consultancy work can be a possibility within your specialism.

What to expect

Much of the role is lab-based, working as part of a scientific research team.
Pharmaceutical research often involves animal testing although this doesn't have to be part of your work.
Experimental work may involve working with hazardous and toxic materials, which is carried out in sterile conditions.
Although travel isn't generally a feature of the role, many pharmaceutical companies have offices globally, and there are universities and research organisations across the world. There are therefore opportunities for employment and attending conferences and seminars throughout the UK and overseas.

Qualifications

To work in pharmacology, you'll typically need a scientific degree in pharmacology or a related subject such as:

biochemistry
biology
biomedical science
chemistry
microbiology
molecular and cell biology
neuroscience
physiology
toxicology.

An MSc or PhD in pharmacology or a related subject is advantageous and for many job vacancies can be a prerequisite, particularly for major pharmaceutical companies where competition for jobs can be fierce. Search for postgraduate courses in pharmacology.

For undergraduates not wishing to continue in full-time education, graduate training schemes are available in industry with pharmaceutical companies. These include the NHS, private healthcare providers and biomedical research organisations. Some offer the opportunity to complete further study while in their employment, such as a Level 7 Apprenticeship or PhD Programme.

There are opportunities for school leavers to embark on careers in pharmacology without a degree. You could consider an apprenticeship or degree apprenticeship to enable you to qualify while working.

For more information on how to get into a career as a pharmacologist, see the British Pharmacological Society.

Skills

You will need:

a methodical approach to work and attention to detail
time management and organisational skills
hands-on practical laboratory skills and the ability to work safely with hazardous materials
a strong comprehension of an organisation’s policies and procedures relating to good laboratory practices (GLP)
problem-solving and analytical skills
communication skills and a willingness to work collaboratively in multidisciplinary teams
report writing and data presentation skills
a high level of IT competency, including data retrieval and analysis
confidence in delivering presentations
an enthusiastic approach and an aptitude for learning new skills and techniques
networking skills and the ability to build effective relationships with internal and external stakeholders.

Work experience

Relevant laboratory experience gained through a year in industry, internship or other work placement, can be hugely beneficial. Experience will help you build up a network of contacts and demonstrate your interest and commitment to employers. You can search for placements and internships at the British Pharmacological Society.

You can also gain experience through laboratory assistant work, work experience in academia or industry or work shadowing. Some organisations even offer virtual internships.

Free student membership of the British Pharmacological Society is available to anyone studying a degree that has a pharmacology element. Membership provides access to useful information, advice and opportunities, as well as a network of national and international pharmacologists at all career levels.

Find out more about the different kinds of work experience and internships that are available.

Employers

Many pharmacologists are employed by companies in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and biosciences industries involved in discovering and developing drugs and carrying out clinical trials.

You may also work for clinical or contract research organisations (CROs) or for companies that target aspects of bioscience that relate to drug discovery and development.

Other employers include:

academic departments within universities, where research projects are often funded by government or charities
government agencies
environmental agencies
charity-funded research organisations such as the Medical Research Council (MRC)
regulatory authorities such as the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency
other research institutions
the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) where work is carried out on patents
NHS trusts - these employ pharmacologists as well as clinical pharmacologists to work on clinical trials.

Look for job vacancies at:

For smaller organisations, you could try a targeted speculative CV and cover letter. Some also use contract staff or employ scientific recruitment agencies to fill their vacancies for them, so registering with recruitment agencies is often a useful step in identifying available positions.

Professional development

Many employers provide the professional and specialist technical training needed for you to perform sophisticated laboratory work.

You'll also need training on health and safety and good laboratory practice (GLP). The training will include risk assessment workshops and Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) regulations training.

In addition, other training courses that can be very helpful include those sometimes offered by employers for internal staff development, in areas such as:

data interpretation
presentation skills
project management
report writing.

If you’re working in industry, there may be a structured training programme. This could include placement rotation in different areas of the organisation, working with a mentor or buddy and drawing up personal development plans. The latter is usually done with line managers or a learning and development team.

Continuing professional development (CPD) opportunities, for example, workshops and conferences, are available through the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) and the British Pharmacological Society. CPD is often encouraged by employers to enable their employees to develop their skills and knowledge further.

Career prospects

Career progression within industry is generally based on increased responsibilities, such as leading teams and managing projects. More senior management positions will often involve more time spent in an office rather than in a lab.

If you work in a university department you may be working as part of a research team and as your career progresses, you may become a principal investigator leading a team. With a PhD, you could progress to postdoctoral research positions, which are often fixed-term contracts.

Job security may be an issue as you'll have to keep securing additional contracts and funding to progress. From here, it’s possible to gain a research fellowship or lectureship, which can involve an increasing amount of teaching, supervising, administration, and management.

As an alternative career outside of a lab environment, you might consider using your pharmacological background in different areas, such as:

advisory roles in government and medical charities
research funding
business development
information science
medical sales and marketing
medical writing
patent work
product licensing or management
regulatory affairs.

Pharmacologist