American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS)

Size: px
Start display at page:

Download "American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS)"

Transcription

1 American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS) AAPS, King Street, Alexandria, VA, USA* he American Association of Pharmaceu- Scientists (AAPS), founded in 1986, Ttical is an individual membership society composed of pharmaceutical scientists who have joined together to serve both society and their own common professional interests. By the end of the Association s first year, 2876 individuals had signed on as charter members. By August of 1997, AAPS membership had grown to more than As of August 1999, AAPS boasts more than 9500 members. AAPS is not a trade organization. AAPS is a non-profit organization that serves as an educational, scientific and scholarly body. Through its annual and regional meetings, its conferences, workshops, symposia and other networking opportunities, through its print publications and online initiatives, such as AAPS PharmSci SM, an exclusively online scientific journal, AAPS continues to offer vital benefits to the pharmaceutical scientists who constitute its membership. Towards fulfillment of its primary purpose, AAPS recognizes its responsibility to support and encourage high standards of education for pharmaceutical scientists, and to actively participate in the international scientific community. Mission Statement The mission of AAPS is to serve the pharmaceutical sciences, promote the vitality of * Correspondence to: Communications Specialist, AAPS, 2107 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 700, Arlington, VA , USA. mierke@aaps.org the pharmaceutical sciences and scientists, and represent scientific interests within academia, government and other private and public institutions. The purpose of AAPS is to serve its membership, the pharmaceutical sciences, the biomedical and biotechnological community, the health professions, and the interest of the public health by: Providing a forum for open interchange and dissemination of scientific knowledge; Influencing the formation of public policy relevant to health and related issues of public concern; Promoting the pharmaceutical sciences and providing for recognition of individual achievement; and Fostering education, career growth and the personal development of its members. Recognizing that modern science is conducted in an integrated fashion comprising many disciplines, AAPS seeks to foster the integration of those sciences related to discovery, design, analysis, development, production, quality control, safety, clinical evaluation, regulation, distribution and utilization of drugs and drug delivery systems. Thus, AAPS should serve as the primary focus of, and forum for, interest in these disciplines. AAPS Sections AAPS members usually join one or more sections related to their disciplines. The organization s nine sections include:

2 48 Profile Analysis and Pharmaceutical Quality; Biotechnology; Clinical Sciences; Economic, Marketing and Management Sciences; Medicinal and Natural Products Chemistry; Pharmaceutical Technologies; Pharmaceutics and Drug Delivery; Pharmacokinetics, Pharmacodynamics and Drug Metabolism; Regulatory Affairs. For more information on AAPS Sections, visit AAPS Focus Groups To help further the exchange of scientific knowledge, AAPS supports the formation of focus groups on specific topics of interest to members. Current AAPS Focus Groups include: bioanalytical, bioequivalence, cellular and molecular pharmaceutics, computer simulation, dermatopharmaceutics, drug metabolism, drug transport and uptake, gene therapy, inhalation technology, lipidbased drug delivery systems, microdialysis, nasal drug delivery, nutraceutical, oral absorption, pharmaceutical polymers, population pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, preformulation, process development, special population studies, stability, and sterile products. For more information on AAPS Focus Groups, visit AAPS Online at org/mbrben/focus/focus.html Snapshot of AAPS Members AAPS membership is open to any individual who supports the objectives of the association and is willing to contribute to the achievement of those objectives. AAPS members come from industry, academia, government and private institutions. Members are engaged in research, teaching, product development, quality control, clinical testing, regulatory affairs, economic affairs, administration, management, and any other activity having a common denominator of pharmaceuticals and medicinal agents. AAPS members aim to advance science through the open exchange of scientific knowledge, and contribute to human health through pharmaceutical research and development. Membership Profile Male: 79% Female: 21% Average age: 41-years-old Years experience: 14.5 years Employed full-time: 98% Percent holding PhD: 64.2%* Percent holding Pharm.D: 49%* Average salary: $ Industry $ Academia $ Government Where employed: 80% Industry 17% Academia 2% Government Employment location: 18% New Jersey 9.2% Pennsylvania 8.1% New York 7.9% California 5.5% Michigan 51.3% Other States *Some members hold both degrees, thus percentage can exceed 100%.

3 Profile 49 Background on the Pharmaceutical Sciences What does a pharmaceutical scientist do? A pharmaceutical scientist discovers and develops life-saving medicines and devices that allow healthcare professionals to treat patients. A pharmaceutical scientist contributes to the health and well-being of society through the discovery and development of medicines and therapies. Pharmaceutical scientists are instrumental in the discovery and development of innovative drugs that save thousands of lives and improve the quality of life for many others. Pharmaceutical scientists have a broad base of scientific knowledge and are employed by pharmaceutical companies; they work as researchers and professors at universities, as regulatory scientists for agencies like the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and as researchers for government agencies, such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH). What are the pharmaceutical sciences? The pharmaceutical sciences combine a broad range of scientific disciplines that are critical to the discovery and development of new drugs and therapies. Pharmaceutical sciences are broadly classified into the following main categories. Analysis and Pharmaceutical Quality analytical techniques, regulatory and compendial matters and quality assurance. Biotechnology research, development and commercialization of biotechnologybased pharmaceuticals. Clinical Sciences the application of pharmaceutical sciences in the clinical setting including trial design, analysis of therapeutic efficacy and safety, drug drug interactions, and special populations in therapeutic situations. Economic, Marketing and Management Sciences drug policy development, economic evaluation, marketing and management, and outcome assessment of pharmaceutical products and services regarding their development, distribution and use. Medicinal and Natural Products Chemistry medicinal, natural products, molecular and structural chemistry and drug design and discovery. Pharmaceutics and Drug Delivery physical, chemical, biological, medicinal and engineering sciences, characterization and optimization of drugs, formulation materials, formulations, devices and performance in vitro and in vivo. Pharmaceutical Technologies pharmaceutical formulation and manufacturing process technology. Pharmacokinetics, Pharmacodynamics and Drug Metabolism the biological action of drugs and chemicals, as well as their disposition and biotransformation. Regulatory Affairs the governing and regulation of the drug approval and distribution processes. AAPS Meetings AAPS Annual Meeting The AAPS Annual Meeting and Exposition is the premier gathering of more than 7500 pharmaceutical scientists from around the world. During symposia, podium and poster sessions, spread out over 4 days, attendees discuss a host of issues, including groundbreaking research presented by members. In addition to multiple research presentations, scientists focus on other issues important to the future of therapeutics. Members can also participate in a variety of roundtable discussions, aimed at such topics as changes to an approved application, environmental

4 50 Profile assessments, drug product manufacture, export regulations, packaging etc. Visit AAPS Online at for details on the upcoming AAPS Annual Meeting, including press registration information. Other meetings Each year, AAPS hosts regional meetings throughout the US. These meetings offer graduate students and postdoctoral fellows the opportunity to present papers on their research and actively participate in AAPS discussions. AAPS offers a wide selection of workshops on exciting topics connected with the pharmaceutical sciences. In 1999, AAPS sponsored conferences on regulatory issues related to drug products for oral inhalation and nasal delivery, individual bioequivalence, drug drug and drug food interactions, stability practices and SUPACs. AAPS workshops and forums scheduled for 2000 include: Bioanalytical Methods, The Technical Transfer of Pharmaceutical Products from the Lab to Commercial Production, and FDA and the Science of Safety: New Perspectives. Latest Scientific News and Research AAPS scientific journals feature the latest news and peer-reviewed research in the pharmaceutical sciences. Media are invited to use these journals as a source for potential news stories. PharmSci SM PharmSci SM is AAPS electronic-only journal, covering the areas of drug discovery, development and therapy. Visit PharmSci at PharmSci allows AAPS to disseminate scientific information worldwide by taking full advantage of the electronic publication medium. The PharmSci web site includes the publication of peer-reviewed articles with multimedia features, encompassing 3D graphics, video, interactive figures and databases, and sound. The abstracts for the AAPS Annual Meeting are featured in a supplemental issue of PharmSci. Visit to access the AAPS Annual Meeting Abstracts. Pharmaceutical Research Published monthly, this peer-reviewed publication focuses on fundamental and applied original research related to drugs, drug delivery systems and diagnosis and therapy. Pharmaceutical Research also covers recent developments in the pharmaceutical and biomedical sciences. The journal publishes rigorously refereed, original research articles and reports. Visit pharmres.html for a detailed table of contents for each issue. Other journals The Journal of Pharmaceutical Marketing and Management, a quarterly periodical, covers the broad areas of drug use, economics, distribution, marketing and compliance. The Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis offers articles on analytical methodology, instrumentation, computation, interpretation, and other analysis topics. Additional specialty journals focused on more specific AAPS sections may be sponsored under the auspices of the society in the future. AAPS News AAPS News Magazine, AAPS monthly news magazine, provides the latest news about the association and issues relating to pharmaceutical science and pharmaceutical scientists. According to a recent readership survey, the publication is read cover-tocover by more than 95% of AAPS members.

5 Profile 51 AAPS Online Use AAPS Online, AAPS official web site, to learn more about the pharmaceutical sciences and pharmaceutical scientists. It s as easy as visiting AAPS Online is easy to navigate and contains the latest information on important AAPS events, such as the AAPS Annual Meeting and innovative workshops on timely topics, such as drug products for inhalation and nasal delivery. The AAPS Online News Room offers journalists breaking news in the pharmaceutical sciences. Find press releases on the latest research findings. Learn the details about the AAPS Annual Meeting, including programme highlights, news room, hotel and registration information, sites of future annual meetings and other special events. Preview new scientific research by accessing the AAPS Annual Meeting Abstracts. Discover more about AAPS members, including a detailed membership profile. AAPS Pharmaceutical Scientist Expert Resource Service To better accommodate media requests for interviews with experts in the pharmaceutical sciences, the AAPS is launching a new Pharmaceutical Scientist Expert Resource Service. This service will provide the media with knowledgeable sources who can provide background information across the broad range of the pharmaceutical sciences. Here s how it works. The Pharmaceutical Scientist Expert Resource Service instantly draws from the AAPS database of top experts in the pharmaceutical sciences, and refers reporters directly to pharmaceutical scientists with expertise in areas such as drug discovery, design, development, analysis, production, quality control, safety, clinical evaluation, registration, distribution and utilization of drugs and drug delivery systems. For instance, whom can you turn to for expertise in the area of dietary supplements or nutraceuticals? AAPS can put you in touch with an expert who knows this hot issue inside and out. The world of pharmaceutical sciences is also filled with other stories and thoughtprovoking personalities. Our database allows editors, writers and broadcasters to share in-depth background information from these sources with readers, listeners and viewers. When you don t have an established contact in a particular area of expertise, and are searching for an expert, or when you are just looking for a new voice on an already familiar topic, let the AAPS News and Information staff do the legwork for you. We can save you valuable time by quickly matching your need for an interview with an appropriate pharmaceutical scientist. Deborah Mierke.