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A Closer Look into Pharmacists in the Industry By Cathy Hau Over the summer, I was able to meet with Dr. Lucy Maa, a UCSF School of Pharmacy alumnus who works in the pharmaceutical industry. As an expert in pharmacology for medications that her company is selling, Dr. Maa serves as a liaison between physicians and her company. She communicates with healthcare practitioners regarding disease states for which the medication can be utilized and relays feedback about the use of medication from healthcare practitioners to the drug company that she works for. The career niche that Dr. Maa landed on definitely seems unique to me, but the pathway that helped her get equipped for this position is no different than what we were recommended by the faculty members and alumni previously. After graduating from UCSF School of Pharmacy, Dr. Maa was a pharmacy practice resident and subsequently, a staff pharmacist at UCSF Mount Zion campus, specializing in oncology pharmacy practice. After working at UCSF for several years, she found this opportunity to become a medical liaison officer for the drug company. Dr. Maa likes her job a lot because she is able to use her expertise to bridge the gap between healthcare practitioners and drug company sales representatives. Additionally, her job gives her flexibility to work at home and keep her other aspects of life in balance. Even though Dr. Maa works in a setting that differs from what I have been hoping to explore on, she has given me a much broader spectrum of pharmacists’ role in the pharmaceutical industry besides research and development. Even with the plethora of career opportunities that future pharmacists will have, Dr. Maa has reminded me to enjoy the learning experience at every stage of my professional education and to never stop exploring for a career niche that I may see fit. I am thankful for the opportunity to meet with Dr. Maa. Cathy Hau is a second-year pharmacy student.
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