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.