Pharmaceutical Production Technician: Job Description

Technicians in a pharmaceutical company laboratory (public domain)

The pharmaceutical industry is a complex machine that's made up of many moving parts. The road that starts with theoretical research and ends with the patient actually receiving the new drug or treatment is a very long one indeed, with many crucial steps along the way.

Progressing from lab research to clinical trials can tell us whether a drug is the right tool to manage, treat or even cure the condition in question. But it's not enough to merely find a viable treatment for a particular disease; those treatments that prove themselves safe and effective then need to be manufactured at scale.

That's why pharmaceutical production is such an important link in the chain. This is the stage where the essential medicines on which so many of us rely on are actually produced—and a key player in this part of the process is the pharmaceutical production technician.

 

What does a pharmaceutical production technician do?

Generally speaking, pharmaceutical production technicians are responsible for the production of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) at scale. As such, the role is varied and comes with a number of duties and responsibilities. These include:

• Understanding and adhering to good manufacturing process (GMP) and health and safety (H&S) standards, including safe working practices and environmental control.
  
  
• Maintaining any equipment that is used in the production process, including troubleshooting, calibration and completing any validation requirements.
  
  
• Co-ordinating and liaising with the activities of other sections.
  
  
• Completing written reports and informing the supervisor/manager of any issues or irregularities that may come up in the course of production.

Pharmaceutical production technician: job requirements

• Previous experience in a similar process industry, such as chemical or food manufacturing.
  
  
• A degree in chemistry or another pharmaceutical-relevant subject (although some employers will waive this requirement if the candidate has previous experience with APIs or similar).
  
  
• Experience in the setup and operation of automated and semi-automated equipment in compliance with approved procedures.
  
  
• Good understanding of—and ability to follow—standard operating procedures (SOPs).
  
  
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
  
  
• Excellent attention to detail.
  
  
• Efficient organisation, planning and time management skills.