Pharmaceutical industry resident finds growth in new challenges

AnnaMaria Passas says that when she started the Pharmaceutical Industry Residency Program through the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy she felt like an imposter. She hadn’t had much exposure to industry prior to the residency, and she wondered what she could contribute. But by the end of the residency, she knew that her skills and experience in pharmacy were valuable in industry and that she had the capacity to handle new challenges and environments – all of which landed her a fulltime role in industry.

“One on my biggest takeaways from the residency was that in order to flourish in situations where you have never previously been, you need to become comfortable with the uncomfortable,” says Passas. “I think it’s important to put yourself in these types of situations for you to grow, because if you’re constantly comfortable, then there’s no opportunity for growth.”

“One on my biggest takeaways from the residency was that in order to flourish in situations where you have never previously been, you need to become comfortable with the uncomfortable.”

Passas started the residency in September of 2023, after completing a Bachelor of Science from the University of Toronto and a Master of Pharmacy from the University of Sunderland in the United Kingdom.

Passas says that her pharmacy degree focused on direct patient care in community and hospital pharmacy, with little exposure to the pharmaceutical industry. When she completed her degree, she wanted to gain experience to fill that gap and provide a broader view of what a pharmacy career could offer, and was accepted to the Pharmaceutical Industry Residency Program offered through the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy.

Through the residency, Passas worked at Roche as a medical affairs strategy resident, where she supported the medical information and scientific communications team with responding to questions from the public or health care providers and contributing to strategic business initiatives. Very quickly, she saw the value of pharmacists in the industry.

“I understood the science behind how the medications worked, which allowed me to formulate and adjust responses according to the target audience, so the role really allowed me to leverage my pharmacy experience,” she says.

Residency project to improve regulatory submissions had impact across company

As part of the residency, Passas also undertook a project that focused more on regulatory affairs and was part of a larger initiative at Roche to enhance product monograph frameworks for regulatory submissions. Passas analyzed different sections of the product monograph for several of Roche’s drugs across different markets, as well as some monographs from competitors, to look for areas where the processes could be improved to streamline future submissions to Health Canada.

“I gained a new perspective on how medications come to market and all of the things that go on in the background that take place for that to actually happen,” she says. “On top of that, the project helped me develop key skills that set me up for success, not only in medical affairs but other departments as well. I honed my project management, leadership, communication and teamwork skills. It was a multifaceted project that really gave me a lot in terms of marketability.”

“I honed my project management, leadership, communication and teamwork skills. It was a multifaceted project that really gave me a lot in terms of marketability.”

Passas says that the project has fostered conversations among colleagues at other Roche affiliates on how they can undertake similar projects to improve regulatory submissions after seeing her work, and she is pleased that her work is having an impact globally. To top it all off, Passas recently received the 2023–2024 Pharmaceutical Industry Residency Program Award, which recognizes a resident who has demonstrated exceptional leadership and completed a high-quality major project during their residency.

Passas now works fulltime at Roche as a medical information and scientific communication specialist at Roche. Though she started the residency unsure about whether she wanted to work in industry, she now sees a long career for herself in industry and is looking forward to having the flexibility within Roche to take on different positions and gain more experience.

She says that pharmacists have the skills to play important roles in industry, so students and new graduates should fight the feelings of imposter syndrome and take on new challenges to gain valuable industry experience.

“You have the clinical knowledge, the ability to speak to physicians, and the skills to tailor your communication to the public, and that really sets you up for success,” she says. “There are definitely some learning curves that come with transitioning into industry, but you have all the tools to succeed.”