Looking for career advice

[FRA 2 FDA]

Obviously the pharmaceutical situation in Brazil is different than in the States so I can't offer too much but a while back my significant other who is a retail pharmacist was thinking of getting out of the game so I was thinking of other options for him. The most alluring to me was working for a pharma company. Some of their positions are remote so you may not have to relocate. Other options here in the US- if you wanted to be a pharmacist but not retail is clinical (work at a hospital and dispense RXs to the nurses or whoever gets them). Or suck it up, jump into retail in a big company and work your way up to high level (district) management, away from customers and back into administrative things.

 

[EmiliaBedelia]

This would kind of fall into option #2 from my first post, however, the vast majority of companies that hire these services are either: A - big multinational companies with no regulatory offices in Brazil or B - small/medium sized Brazilian importers who cannot afford a regulatory affairs department.

From my experience, A would never go for the small guy instead of the big household names and B is 90% of the times reached through personal connections.

What about working at the Brazil office of a big multinational company? Is that part of your list of options? I previously worked at a giant multinational with a big affiliate office in Brazil - I am sure many companies have a similar setup. We worked very closely with the Brazilian RA team because they had to support any onsite Anvisa/Inmetro audits.

 

[kys123]

What about working at the Brazil office of a big multinational company? Is that part of your list of options? I previously worked at a giant multinational with a big affiliate office in Brazil - I am sure many companies have a similar setup. We worked very closely with the Brazilian RA team because they had to support any onsite Anvisa/Inmetro audits.

Hello Emilia, thanks for answering.

I'll try handing out a few CVs, are there any companies that you recommend that I keep an eye out for open positions?

 

[EmiliaBedelia]

Honestly I'd start with the biggest corporations who distribute in Brazil - I don't know which companies are active there, but maybe you do, or you'd at least be able to find those companies more easily. Pharmaceutical and medical device companies both would likely have an affiliate office so you'd have a lot of options.

 

[Jasonlee]

I agree with Steve Prevette advice,

 

[rogerpenna]

Hello Emilia, thanks for answering.

I'll try handing out a few CVs, are there any companies that you recommend that I keep an eye out for open positions?

how it turned out?

Just curiosity.
I don´t know much about pharmacy here in Brazil except there is one big pharmacy in every corner and I don´t know how they even survive with so much competition. Sometimes I think it's the same scheme McDonalds used... seen the movie? They guy telling Ray Croc that McDonalds business was not selling sandwiches, it was real estate!!
The other thing I know is that everytime I go to a clinical doctor in a building where most units are clinics and such, at least, only 2/3 of the people circulating inside are patients, the other 1/3 are Phamaceutical Companies "Salesman", distributing free samples and advertising the products to the doctors.
So it must be big business I guess. They usally have decent cars. With lights in the trunk to sort out all the samples and stuff when they are parked in dark garages.

 

[rogerpenna]

Obviously the pharmaceutical situation in Brazil is different than in the States

I am sure even in the US there are cities and states where the situation is better than in others.
if Kys is located in São Paulo, Rio or a few other capitals, it is certainly a different prospect than if he is located at a sleepy town isolated 200km from any other in the middle of Mato Grosso state, near the border with Bolivia.
I mean... here, a DrogaSil store in Mato Grosso state near the border with Bolivia
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vs HyperaFarma, a phamaceutical laboratory with offices in this building in São Paulo
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[kys123]

how it turned out?

Just curiosity.
I don´t know much about pharmacy here in Brazil except there is one big pharmacy in every corner and I don´t know how they even survive with so much competition. Sometimes I think it's the same scheme McDonalds used... seen the movie? They guy telling Ray Croc that McDonalds business was not selling sandwiches, it was real estate!!
The other thing I know is that everytime I go to a clinical doctor in a building where most units are clinics and such, at least, only 2/3 of the people circulating inside are patients, the other 1/3 are Phamaceutical Companies "Salesman", distributing free samples and advertising the products to the doctors.
So it must be big business I guess. They usally have decent cars. With lights in the trunk to sort out all the samples and stuff when they are parked in dark garages.

Hi Roger, I am still working on my old job. I had some offers by other consultancy firms from São Paulo but the pay increase was not enough to justify the higher living costs.
I also placed like 170th out of 80 or so spots at Anvisa, so I do not have any directions currently and I am pretty bummed out.
Pivoting to retail pharmacy would lower my wages and decrease my quality of life (working 6 days a week is not for me I fear lol).

 

[rogerpenna]

Rogério. Roger is just the screen name I use in English forums. After all, same name, different languages. Old germanic Hrod Ger... famous with the spear. A little ironic name meaning as I was never either a fighter or a womanizer. lol

Retail pharmacy would be selling directly to consumers right? When I told about salesman, I was meaning the guys who deal with doctors, hospitals and stuff, so that wouldn´t be classified as "retail". Nor those kind of sales/ad people work 6 days a week afaik


Anyway, wouldn´t your skills work in the BIDDING (Licitações) sector. The entire public sector plus the Pharma companies must deal with biddings to buy and sell pharmaceuticals. This includes lots of regulations and documentation showing quality procedures, standards, etc

 

[Nichole F]

Have you considered looking for a job with an ISO registrar? I know BSI is usually always hiring. There should be room for growth there. You may have to start as an auditor, but would lend the opportunity to become a technical reviewer for example. I can't speak for ANVISA, but I know many people move from ISO registrars to FDA here in the states. With Brazil being an MDSAP participating country, there should be some demand for someone familiar with those regulations.

Best of luck to you!