IPhO News

As the Pharmaceutical Industry rapidly advances, career opportunities for pharmacists have expanded. PharmDs play an integral role in drug development and commercialization, and Industry Fellowships have become a proven mechanism for identifying, training, and cultivating this talent.

More Fellows join pharmaceutical, biotechnology, agency, and service provider organizations each year, as employers increasingly recognize the value pharmacists bring. Since Industry Fellowships began over 40 years ago, about 5,500 pharmacists have participated in these opportunities!

Building on the foundation of the 2023 Post-Fellowship Compensation Analysis, this updated report delivers new data from 2025 Fellowship Alumni. These insights allow us to identify evolving post-Fellowship compensation trends.

READ THE FULL REPORT

Tiffany Chao, National Student Officer, Scholarly Activities & VIP Case Competition Rutgers University Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy Class of 2026 and co- author presented the poster, “Evaluating the Efficacy of a Pharmaceutical Industry Coaching Service” at the 2025 ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting.

This poster highlighted the first of its kind measurement and reporting of pharmaceutical industry coaching outcomes with quantifiable results. This research encompassed all IPhO coaching clients from September 2013- May 2025. Of the coaching participants evaluated (N=599), 314 (53.8%) obtained an industry position. Seventy percent of the coaching requests were students, and thirty percent were experienced community and hospital pharmacists.

These findings demonstrate that during over a 10- year period the IPhO Coaching Service achieved a high success rate of 53.8% for students and experienced pharmacists from diverse practice settings. As industry fellowships and direct-to-industry opportunities become ever more competitive, utilizing a professional and proven industry coaching service is very valuable in gaining a competitive advantage.

Access the poster here.

Minh Nguyen, PharmDc 27, University of Texas; Tiffany Chao, PharmDc 26, Rutgers University; Lia Paw-Tun, PharmDc 28, Wingate University; Elsa Racine, PharmDc 29, Northeastern University. Evaluating the Efficacy of a Pharmaceutical Industry Coaching Service. American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) Annual Midyear Conference. December 2025.

Two members of the Industry Pharmacists Organization (IPhO) National Fellows Council (NFC) Publications Committee, Izzabella Christian and Jenifer Pham, attended and presented a poster, “Analysis of 2024 PharmD Industry Fellowship Outcomes” at the 2025 ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting.

This poster highlighted two of the outcomes that were analyzed in the corresponding publication—First Position Title and Fellow Retention. The outcomes showed that the most common First Position Title for 2024 Fellowship Alumni was "Manager" but widely varied from Associate to Director and Senior Medical Science Liaison (MSL). 62% of 2024 Fellowship Alumni were retained by their Fellowship Sponsors. These results show an overall positive outcome for Industry Fellows post-Fellowship.

Our very own IPhO Coach Jerry recently sat down for an interview with Drug Topics to share his perspective on a topic of ongoing and critical importance to pharmacists—job satisfaction and burnout!

Coach Jerry authored the IPhO 2023 Compendium, Pharmacist Job Satisfaction and Burnout in Traditional and Non-Traditional Practice Settings (1)

A recent study on the prevalence and risk factors of burnout among 412 community pharmacists, published in JAPhA (2) showed that 74.9% of respondents experienced burnout. Of those, 68.9% attributed their burnout to emotional exhaustion, followed by depersonalization (50.4%), and reduced personal accomplishment (30.7%).

Congratulations to student pharmacists at the University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus, the newest addition to our growing student chapter network. IPhO now connects them to a national network of 100+ chapters and thousands of industry-minded student pharmacists with similar interests, as well as a national network of hundreds of industry fellows and thousands of industry pharmacists.

To start a chapter at your school, contact us here.

For the student benefits of joining IPhO, view the National Student Brochure here!

During the Saturday session of this year’s IPhO Annual Meeting (IAM), we were proud to recognize the top five IPhO student chapters nationwide for their outstanding dedication and impact. These chapters stood out across these major scoring categories of our Recognition of Chapter Annual Program (ReCAP): membership recruitment, social media engagement, professional development, VIP Case Competition participation, fundraising, and community service.

This year’s top performing chapters are:

• Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) School of Pharmacy (First Place)

• Rutgers University Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy (Second Place)

• Temple University School of Pharmacy (Third Place)

• University of Maryland School of Pharmacy (Fourth Place)

• Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences and Saint Joseph’s University Philadelphia College of Pharmacy (Tied for Fifth Place)

The 2025 Industry Pharmacists Organization (IPhO) National Fellows Council (NFC) Kick-Off Meeting was hosted in July, in person at the UCB campus in Atlanta, GA. The event brought together fellows, preceptors, directors, and members of the IPhO leadership team to network, exchange insights on the pharmaceutical industry, and emphasize the vital contributions pharmacists make within the field.

This year, 25 attendees joined us in person, while another 10 tuned in virtually!

The meeting featured networking sessions, educational seminars, and professional development panels. The day opened with welcoming remarks from Nicole Thompson, Vice President of the IPhO Fellows Community. Nicole provided an overview of IPhO, highlighting its impact on students, fellows, and industry professionals.

Believe it or not, this year's Annual Meeting is less than two months away, on September 4-7, 2025! We're giving registration away for free to five contest winners!

The rules are simple:

• Follow IPhO on Instagram (@industrypharmacistorg).
• View our feed and locate the "IPhO Annual Meeting 2025" Giveaway post (to be made at 10:00 AM ET on Tuesday, July 22, 2025).
• Like the post.
• Unscramble the three words and comment on the post with your answers!
• Share the post to your story and tag IPhO (@industrypharmacistorg), along with three friends who might benefit from entering the contest.
• Five winners who follow the steps above will be selected at random and tagged in an announcement post on Tuesday, July 29.
• Winners will receive a complimentary code to register for the meeting on the IPhO website. Registration must be completed by August 31 at midnight.
• Terms and conditions apply. Please see below.
• Deadline to like, comment, and share is Sunday, July 27, at midnight ET. Good luck!

Early bird pricing for the 2025 IPhO Annual Meeting (IAM) ends TONIGHT (Monday, June 30) at midnight! If you've been waiting to register, your time is almost up.

Now is your last chance to sign up and save. We will not offer pricing lower than it is today!

REGISTER HERE

To help spread the word about your attendance and encourage your peers to join you, we've created social media graphics and suggested captions you can feel free to use on your Instagram and LinkedIn accounts.

DOWNLOAD THEM HERE

There are separate graphics for P4 and P1-P3 students, and also a cover image for P4s to use on LinkedIn for an extra boost to let prospective employers and meeting sponsors know they're attending. Be sure to tag IPhO if you post so we can like and share your notes!

Congratulations to student pharmacists at Washington State University, the newest addition to our growing student chapter network. IPhO now connects them to a national network of 100+ chapters and thousands of industry-minded student pharmacists with similar interests, as well as a national network of hundreds of industry fellows and thousands of industry pharmacists.

To start a chapter at your school, contact us here.

For the student benefits of joining IPhO, view the National Student Brochure here!

Congratulations to student pharmacists at Roosevelt University, the newest addition to our growing student chapter network. IPhO now connects them to a national network of 100+ chapters and thousands of industry-minded student pharmacists with similar interests, as well as a national network of hundreds of industry fellows and thousands of industry pharmacists.

To start a chapter at your school, contact us here.

For the student benefits of joining IPhO, view the National Student Brochure here!

IPhO is pleased to introduce the newest member of its leadership team! Juliette Muszka, PharmD, RPh, joins as the Vice President of Student Leadership Development. Dr. Muszka may be a familiar face to some, who know her as their IPhO Career Coach!

She is a passionate industry pharmacy leader with over 30 years of experience optimizing value across Global Research & Development, Commercial and Medical Affairs functions. Earlier in her career, Dr. Muszka worked in clinical and academic pharmacy practice settings with a focus on acute patient care and formulary management.

A new IPhO self-study elective certificate course, Pharmaceutical Industry Essentials (PIE), launched this month.

Designed as a foundational prerequisite course, "101" level program, PIE aims to guide both student pharmacists and experienced pharmacists interested in pursuing a career in the pharmaceutical industry.

The course's primary objective is to equip participants with a comprehensive understanding of the various functional areas within the industry where pharmacists play critical roles. This knowledge will enable individuals to identify specific areas that best align with their unique interests, experiences, and skill sets, preparing them to be more competitive candidates.

The Industry Pharmacists Organization (IPhO) student chapter at Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (ACPHS) proudly hosted the 7th Annual Northeast Regional Meeting (NERM) on Saturday, March 22, 2025.

This event brought together students from across the northeast region to network, gain insights, and engage in meaningful discussions with professionals and experts from the pharmaceutical industry. The meeting served as a platform for fostering connections and enhancing professional development among future pharmacists.

After months of hard work and commitment from students and fellows alike, we are proud to announce the winners of the 2024-2025 IPhO VIP Case Competition!

FIRST PLACE: Virginia Commonwealth University

SECOND PLACE: Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia College of Pharmacy

In March, the IPhO student chapters of Saint Joseph’s University, Temple University, and Thomas Jefferson University successfully hosted the Third Annual IPhO Philadelphia Conference.

The event provided pharmacy students with an opportunity to explore career pathways in the pharmaceutical industry, connect with industry professionals, and engage with peers from other IPhO chapters.

On this episode of the IPhO Podcast, you'll meet Ajith Varghese, PharmD, Strategy Insights & Planning Associate Consultant.

LISTEN NOW

Ajith takes us along on his career journey, which began in retail pharmacy and has culminated in a successful transition to the pharmaceutical industry.

He shares his advice on how to craft a standout resume that captures your unique skills and experiences, strategies for effective interview preparation, and the key skills and mindset needed to thrive in a competitive industry.

Whether you're a pharmacy student, a recent graduate, or a professional considering a career shift, this episode has plenty of practical advice and inspiration to help you take the next step in your career journey. Enjoy!

IPhO is pleased to announce the addition of two student chapters to our growing national network!

Congratulations to student pharmacists at Wingate University and the Medical College of Wisconsin. IPhO now connects them to a national network of 100+ chapters and more than 6,000 student pharmacists with similar interests, as well as a national network of hundreds of industry fellows and thousands of industry pharmacists.

To start a chapter at your school, visit this page.

For the student benefits of joining IPhO, view the National Student Brochure here!

IPhO is pleased to announce the release of our 11th Annual PharmD Industry Fellowship Analysis for 2024-2025!

VIEW NOW

The number of PharmDs participating in Fellowships has increased substantially over the past decade. In 2024-2025, there are 925 Fellows participating in Fellowships, representing over 253% growth from the 2015-2016 Fellowship cycle

However, for the first time, there are fewer Fellows this year than there were in the previous year.

As more PharmDs pursue pharmaceutical industry Fellowships, understanding their impact and outcomes has become essential for stakeholders across the industry.

READ THE FULL ANALYSIS

This IPhO publication presents an analysis of the post-Fellowship employment outcomes of 418 PharmD Fellows with a planned Fellowship end date in 2024. It examines the characteristics of full-time employment following the Fellowship program, including job titles, functional areas, and company placements.