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Sector Briefings - Pharmaceutical & Life Sciences

For more information on the Pharmaceutical & Life Sciences sector, download our print-ready PDF:

Pharmaceutical companies develop, produce, and market prescription drugs and medications to help cure and treat patients, and vaccinate people against illness and disease. They may also be involved in the design and manufacture of medical equipment.

Life Sciences are biology and chemistry-based fields that involve the study of living organisms such as plants, animals, and humans, including their interaction with each other, and their interaction with a range of substances and chemicals.

The Pharmaceutical & Life Sciences sector is an exciting one to work in, with technological advancements changing the face of digital healthcare; bringing new approaches to the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and management of various health conditions.

Key facts

In the UK, the pharmaceutical and life sciences industry has an annual turnover of around £40.7 billion.
Over 233,400 people work in the pharmaceutical and life sciences sector across the UK.
The Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine developed to save lives during the Covid-19 pandemic was developed in the UK.

Skills & Attributes

As well as qualifications and experience, there’s a range of skills and attributes employers look for in their employees. These skills can help you succeed in many careers, but these are particularly useful for this sector: