Pharmacy case studies
Two University of Nottingham pharmacy alumni talk about their current roles and how they use their degree in their job.
Matthew Brown, Specialist Clinical Pharmacist at Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust
What did you do after your degree?
Upon graduating, I wasn't quite ready to leave behind the city that had provided me with such amazing and fond memories so I hung around and completed my pre-registration year at the QMC.
It was at this time around graduating that I got involved with the British Pharmaceutical Students' Association (BPSA) and had the luxury of being able to travel Europe with my role as liaison to EPSA, the student body for European pharmacy students.
What is your current role?
I have worked for four years in Leeds as a hospital pharmacist rotating through all specialities available and regularly network with other alumni from UoN and hope to get into teaching pharmacy students some day.
Hiep Huatan, Pharmaceutical and Biotech Consultant
What did you do after your degree?
After leaving Nottingham, I completed an internship at Pfizer and subsequently gained an award from the Royal Pharmaceutical Society to undertake a PhD in Polymeric Drug Delivery at Manchester University.
Following my PhD, I returned to Pfizer as a research scientist, progressing rapidly through the ranks to become one of the youngest section managers in the company.
I was subsequently appointed to departmental manager with responsibility for the development of Pfizer’s portfolio of new drugs.
How has your career progressed?
I was swayed later in my career to join a biotech start-up company, Phoqus, as Vice-President of R&D. This was a fascinating period of my career where I became deeply embroiled in the challenges of drug development for a start-up biotech, enduring the trials and tribulations of capital venture fund raising.
I followed my aspiration to start my own business and subsequently founded a pharmaceutical consultancy company, H2 Pharma, to provide technical, IP and regulatory consultancy services to the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.
In tandem with the consultancy business, I also founded a specialty pharmaceutical product development company, D3 Pharma. Both businesses continue to thrive, creating many new opportunities and endless challenges.
What advice would you give to current students?
I have been very fortunate to have received excellent academic training in my pharmacy degree which has been the foundation for my career to date.
Looking back, having a clear vision of what I wanted to achieve in my career really helped me to focus on my postgraduate development and employment direction.
If I can offer one piece of advice to future graduates, it would be to use your degree wisely to crystallise your career ambition. Apply and stretch yourself in a determined manner to achieve your goals; and foremost to have the self-belief that you can and will achieve them. Your career is ultimately a journey and not a destination, so make sure you enjoy it.