IPhO News

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.

IPhO Executive Director and Founder, Jim Alexander, may have been the only one in the group sporting a Nebraska jacket, but he was still welcomed with open arms by team USC!

Fellowship program leaders, Bill Gong and Michael Lim, spent a sunny afternoon cheering for the USC football team along with Jim and their current fellows. Another fun reunion to celebrate at IPhO!

An unforgettable milestone like a 50th podcast episode calls for an unforgettable guest—and once again, our team delivered! We are honored to welcome David Epstein, seasoned pharmaceutical executive, innovator, and trailblazer, to the show!

LISTEN TO EPISODE 50 NOW!

Throughout his transformative career, David has led teams to develop and launch over 30 new medications worldwide. Currently, he serves as Chairman of the Board at Agomab, where he continues to drive strategic initiatives and support groundbreaking advancements in the field. Previously, he led Seagen through a period of marked growth and success as Chief Executive Officer—culminating in its merger with Pfizer.

If there's anyone who knows what it takes to rise through the ranks, push boundaries, motivate and inspire others, and enjoy a truly life-changing career, it's David. And you can learn from him by tuning in!

It feels like just yesterday that we were celebrating our big 10th anniversary, but today IPhO turns 12!

It has been an honor supporting thousands of students and PharmDs on their path to industry for the past 12 years. Cheers to many more together!

Take a look at how far we've come and who we've met along the way!

We are pleased to announce that USF Taneja College of Pharmacy is the latest school to join our growing network of 100+ chapters!

Congratulations to the student pharmacists at USF! IPhO now connects them to more than 5,000 student pharmacists with similar interests, as well as a national network of hundreds of industry fellows and thousands of industry pharmacists.

Several more schools are in the late stages of filing their chapter applications and will soon join the growing national network.

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

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

The 2024 Industry Pharmacists Organization (IPhO) National Fellows Council (NFC) Kick-Off Meeting was a two-day event this August, hosted at UCB’s campus in Atlanta, GA. Fellows, preceptors, directors, and the IPhO leadership team congregated to share insight and passion for the pharmaceutical industry, highlighting the pivotal role that pharmacists can play.

The Annual Kick-Off Meeting provided fellows, preceptors, and directors the opportunity to connect and network, develop and expand on their professionalism, and increase visibility with key industry leadership team members. This year, 21 attendees participated in person while 17 joined virtually.

Please see the statement below from AIFA, whose Member Fellowship Programs collectively offer the majority of available fellowship positions.

Aligned First Offer Date: December 16, 2024

The choice of a Post-Doctoral Industry Fellowship is an important decision. AIFA exists to promote a consensus first offer date for all Fellowship positions. We believe this is a positive reflection of the cultures our Programs offer, and that culture is a critical consideration in choice of Fellowship.

We hope that other academic and non-academic Fellowship Programs will NOT pressure candidates to accept offers prior to this aligned offer date.

Believe it or not, this year's Annual Meeting is less than one month away, on September 6-8, 2024! 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 2024" Giveaway post (to be made at 12:00 PM ET on Friday, August 9, 2024).
• Like the post.
• Comment on the post and tag three friends who might benefit from entering the contest/attending the meeting.
• Share the post to your story and tag IPhO when you do.
• Five winners who follow the steps above will be selected at random and tagged in an announcement post on August 16.
• 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 and comment is Wednesday, August 14, at midnight ET. Good luck!

A New 2-for-1 Membership Opportunity

IPhO and phactMI have partnered to offer a "2-for-1" membership plan. Student and Fellow IPhO National Members can now activate a complimentary phactMI membership for the latest medical information resources!

LEARN MORE

phactMI is a non-profit organization focused on the strategic value of Medical Information (MI) and is both an industry center of excellence and the leading-edge single source of medical information. By providing a free, searchable, drug information database, phactMI’s goal is to provide healthcare professionals with the most accurate, up-to-date drug information in response to HCP’s questions.

Partnership benefits with phactMI include invitations to quarterly virtual meetings, best practice sharing, professional development, mentoring and networking with medical information professionals, and access to members-only content.

IPhO announces the availability of a new regulatory affairs educational program: FRAMEwork: Fundamentals of Regulatory Affairs Management Education

Learn more and register today!

IPhO is excited to announce the release of its first-ever Post-Fellowship Compensation Analysis, now available to download here!

Each year, more Fellows enter pharmaceutical, biotechnology, agency, and service provider companies, as Fellowship Sponsors continue to recognize the value of pharmacists in Industry.

However, until now, little information has been published regarding compensation levels for PharmDs who secure full time jobs post-Fellowship.

After months of hard work and commitment from students and fellows alike, we are proud to announce the winners of the 2023-2024 IPhO VIP Case Competition!

FIRST PLACE: University of California, San Francisco