On June 30-July 1, 2026 the All-Russian Cyclic Meeting on the Training of Pharmaceutical Personnel was held in Moscow, organized by the Ministry of Health of Russian Federation, the All-Russian Scientific and Methodological Center, and the National Pharmaceutical Chamber. The focus was on aligning educational programs with the evolving demands of the market. According to the AIPM, the industry faces not a shortage of numbers but a profound mismatch in the skills of graduates.
Daria Bychkova, AIPM's Director for Strategic Partnerships, Medical Issues, and Ethics, highlighted that pharmaceutical manufacturing companies are struggling with a «labor shortage.» This shortage manifests as a structural mismatch between what universities teach and what the market requires.
AIPM's internal analysis identified key missing skills: GxP practices, biostatistics, proficiency in searching and analyzing scientific literature in Russian and English, and AI capabilities.
To address this gap, the Association proposed:
Daria Bychkova, AIPM's Director for Strategic Partnerships, Medical Issues, and Ethics, highlighted that pharmaceutical manufacturing companies are struggling with a «labor shortage.» This shortage manifests as a structural mismatch between what universities teach and what the market requires.
AIPM's internal analysis identified key missing skills: GxP practices, biostatistics, proficiency in searching and analyzing scientific literature in Russian and English, and AI capabilities.
To address this gap, the Association proposed:
- Developing a standard module called «Applied Skills for the Pharmaceutical Industry,» covering biostatistics, project management, pharmacovigilance, and critical literature analysis. This initiative would be led by industry partners.
- Launching a Career Navigator for students, offering career paths, sample resumes, and clear competency requirements.
«We are prepared to act as an industrial partner,» said Bychkova, «providing students in medical, biological, chemical, pharmaceutical, and biotechnological fields with comprehensive thematic blocks ranging from the drug lifecycle and market assessment methods to pharmacoeconomics and promotion ethics.»
The two-day meeting not only discussed best practices but also generated specific proposals to enhance federal educational standards and regulatory frameworks, aiming to better prepare pharmaceutical professionals for the future.
Photo provided by the All-Russian Scientific and Methodological Center of the Ministry of Health of Russian Federation - source