One-day internship

Dear members of the K.N.P.S.V.,

In the first years of the curriculum, the (bio) pharmacy does not cover much practice. To accommodate the students, the K.N.P.S.V. offers the snuffelstage. Through this one-day internship, a student can learn the daily practices in a public pharmacy, hospital pharmacy, polyclinic pharmacy and industry. You can go on the one-day internship in the public pharmacy, the hospital pharmacy, the polyclinic pharmacy and in the industry all year round.

Many students have already gone on a one-day internship and it is possible to do so this year as well. The positive reactions from both students and pharmacists indicate that this one-day internship can be very useful for making decisions that you have to take during your studies. Take a look at ‘K.N.P.S.V.-news’ to read about the recent one-day internships.

Are you interested or do you want more information? Do not hesitate to send me an email (commissairebuitenland@knpsv.nl). You can sign up by filling in the registration form below. When there is a placement available, I will contact you.

With kind regards,

Franka Hettfleish,
h.t. commissioner of foreign affairs

Here follows a short explanation about the different branches within the pharmaceutical industry. You can fill in your choice in the application form.

Quality Assurance (QA):

When placing a product on the market, check whether it complies with all regulations. Quality Assurance is a department that deals with the quality of everything related to the product (documents, procedures, equipment, processes etc.).

Production includes:

You keep yourself busy with the production of the medicines. GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) is aimed at ensuring an optimal production process: safety, quality, costs and quantity must be in balance. This department has the task to produce as efficiently as possible at a certain quality. For example, buying machines that provide automation will speed up the process. Also the packaging of the product is part of the production.

Quality includes:

Performing audits (internal controls) of the production process, from ordering the raw materials and goods, to the issuance of the packaged product. Subsequently, we report on what can be done better and how the chance of deviations in the product can be made as small as possible. From that moment on the product is approved and may be used for further processing or it may be used by patients.

Research and Development includes:

Employees of Research & Development are engaged in research into new molecules (mostly chemists) and the development of production processes, new formulations and applications (pharmacists and pharmaceutical companies). Analysis techniques check whether your product is well synthesized. Then there is the design and the check of administration forms.

Marketing includes:

Doing market research, designing a campaign when launching a product, advertising, the brand name of the product and the layout of the packaging. This means advertising, launching a brand and building an image. Sales are also important: knowing what is happening in the market, what is needed, making market analysis. It is important to build up a network and call on it. You have to know the prices of your competitors, because this market is price driven.

Registration includes:

The compilation of a product file containing extensive descriptions of the preparation of the product. It also contains all Pharmacopeia tests that have been carried out, and all tests that have been done in phase 1, 2 and 3 studies. This must be handed to the local government, so that it approves the product and the company can put the product on the market. You ensure that it can be proven that the product and the production process comply with the strict pharmaceutical regulations. Legal matters are important in this branch.

Pharmaceutical development includes:

The development of a pharmaceutical product for clinical trials in phase 2 up to the appearance on the market. You do research with both formulation work and production work. You develop and do not only make medicines, but often also analyze them yourself. Developing the dosage form for a specific medicine is also part of this. A new identity has to come into the body in such a way that it has the right efficacy.

Medical Manager includes:

Within a relatively small pharmaceutical company, the Medical Manager is responsible for very different processes. This includes duties and responsibilities that relate to legislation and regulations, Regulatory Affairs and reimbursement files, medical / scientific support to the sales and marketing department, a source of information for medical professionals and patients who use our products. This implies that many external contacts are maintained with, among others, doctors, (hospital) pharmacists, academic centers, government bodies and professional associations.

On the one-day internship, the various activities within a pharmaceutical company and the role of a (bio) pharmacist as Medical Manager can be discussed in detail. There is also the possibility to complete an assignment yourself.