Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance:
In the pharmaceutical industry, quality assurance is essential to ensure that the drug has been developed and distributed to a safe and consistent standard. This is necessary to ensure that no one becomes ill or has symptoms worse from taking the medicine.
Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance (PQA) encompasses various aspects of pharmaceutical products that could jeopardize their quality, such as the research, development, production and distribution phases. For medicinal products to comply with the law, pharmaceutical quality assurance is necessary. It is also necessary to uphold the standards and reputation of the companies they work for.
The purpose of any quality control program in a clinic or hospital is to ensure that all medications that reach the patient are safe, secure, and consistent. A good quality assurance program takes care of all technical and administrative tasks from drug conception to patient administration. This quality assurance is particularly important in the pharmaceutical sector because even the smallest error can cause serious symptoms in the patient.
Suitability Criteria (UG and PG) for Pharmaceutical quality Assurance:
Bachelor’s Interested candidates:
You must have passed 10+2 from an accredited university.
Must have basic science subjects.
It must guarantee at least 50% aggregate (45% for SC/ST).
Master's Bachelor’s Interested candidates:
You must have a B.Pharm degree or other similar bachelor's degree.
They must graduate from an accredited university.
Entrance exams for pharmaceutical quality assurance:
There is no common entrance test for all pharmaceutical quality assurance students. All universities have their entrance tests and procedures. Once all the relevant procedures and tests are completed, the university publishes its list of merits and based on its performance in the entrance exams, they are placed in the appropriate universities.
Most entrance tests include general aptitude questions and relevant questions about knowledge of subjects and areas of study. In some cases, the entrance exam is followed by a round of personal interviews.
As the Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance specialization is only available at M.Pharm, here are some of the entrance tests offered by some of the best universities:
GPA: The Graduate Pharmacy Aptitude Test is a national-level exam administered by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). The results of this test also determine scholarship selection.
PGECET: The Postgraduate Engineering Common Entrance Test is for admission to PG Engineering, Architecture and Pharmacy (M.Pharm) courses. It is carried out by Osmania University.
EAMCET: The State of Telangana offers the Telangana State Engineering, Agriculture and Medicine Common Entrance Test for admission to all engineering and medical colleges in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
Scope of Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance in India and Abroad:
Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance has a wide scope of applications inside and outside the country. All pharmaceuticals, pharmaceuticals and chemicals must undergo quality assurance before being approved for the market. Therefore, they are in high demand among pharmaceutical quality insurers.
Medicines are manufactured in different forms around the world, and each of these medicines requires quality approval. Therefore, as part of this course, multiple job opportunities will be created in different regions of the world.
Although the degree program sounds very specialized, there are many job profiles available that make it a good option for further study. Jobs are offered by the public and private sectors. With the right skills and knowledge in this field, one can get a good and well-paying job in this field.
Course Fees Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance:
UG:
Private: 1.56 Lakhs - 11.10 Lakhs
Government: 42.00 K
PG:
Private: 6.80 K - 9.24 Lakhs
Government: 10.70 K - 5.11 Lakhs
Course Subjects:
The subjects of study differ according to the curriculum of the respective university, but mainly consist of:
Advanced Analytical Techniques
Research Methodology
Biostatistics
Pharmaceutical Process Validation
Pharmaceuticals Stability Studies
Regulatory Affairs and IPR
Quality and its Concepts
Method Development and Validation
Quality Assurance Approach
Quality Assurance Improvement
Analytical Techniques Lab
Quality Assurance Lab
Product Development
Packaging
Computing and Statistics, etc.
Careers in Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance:
Aside from these careers, there are many other options in the field of pathology. Some of these options include:
Lecturer
Consultant
Researcher
Biomedical Scientist
Pharmacologist
Lab Technician
Quality Manager
Job profiles and top recruitment companies:
Job Description for Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance Graduates
Pharmaceutical quality assurance offers many job profiles, although it is a niche topic. Both public and private companies offer jobs to these students. Important profiles include:
Job Profile & Job Description:
Quality Assurance Specialist:
Their task is to carry out efficient quality assurance procedures and audits. They must also ensure that all standards and qualities are met and that laws and regulations are followed. They must advise companies in times of crisis.
Quality Control Tester:
You must use different skills and methods to analyze all aspects of a software solution in terms of functional and technical aspects. This is to ensure that the solution meets all the requirements and ideas that are needed.
Quality Assurance Analyst:
They test samples of materials to ensure they are safe and secure. They measure and analyze materials and drugs and ensure their quality.
Analytical Chemist:
They use different methods and try to understand the nature of different chemicals and materials. They study chemicals and try to understand how they adapt and react when exposed to different conditions or other chemicals.
Quality Control Officer:
You should test and analyze the product based on its intended use. You must also ensure that the product performs according to the manufacturer's specifications.
Leading recruiter in the field of Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance:
There are many pharmaceutical quality assurance company recruiters out there. Among these recruiters, some important ones are:
pharmaceutical company
hospitals
laboratories
pharmaceutical colleges and universities
Chambers of Medicines and Pharmacy
medical chain stores
consumer brands
research organizations
consulting company
Job profile & Average Salary:
The average salaries for pharmaceutical quality assurance students vary depending on the level of experience and knowledge in the field. Some of the expected average salaries are:
Quality assurance specialist: Rs. 5-7 lakhs per year (approx)
Quality control inspector: Rs. 3-5 lakhs per year (approx)
Quality Assurance Analyst: Rs. 3-6 lakhs per year (approx.)
Analytical Chemist: Rs. 2-4 lakhs per year (approx.)
QA Executive: Rs 9-11 lakhs p.a. (approx.)
Required Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance Skills:
A quality control manager needs some specific skills to excel at their job. In addition to excellent technical knowledge and experience in the field, here are some additional skills a pharmaceutical quality assurance student should possess:
Good Numerical Ability: A student of Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance should have a very strong sense of numbers and an understanding of statistics. This ability is essential to assessing the safety and consistency of a drug or vaccine, making it an important attribute.
Leadership Skills: A Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance student must have strong leadership skills to qualify for managerial positions and lead their teams well. This ability will take you far in this profession.
Communication Skills: Effective communication is extremely important for pharmaceutical quality assurance. This lays the foundation for leadership skills and helps maintain good relationships within the team and with the companies, they work for.
Problem-Solving Skills: Problem-solving skills are a must for pharmaceutical quality assurance students. They must be able to identify problems and safety issues with medications and have the technical knowledge to troubleshoot these issues. They should advise pharmaceutical manufacturers on how to make their processes more efficient.
Stay tuned to know more about the Best Healthcare and Pharma QA Jobs in India in 2023!