Academia-pharmaceutical industry linkage: An academic perspective

ABSTRACT

Background

The pharmaceutical sector in Pakistan has grown over a period, however, there are several barriers in the framework governing the growth of the country’s pharmaceuticals. The lack of academia-industry linkage (AIL) is among the critical barriers; hence the focus of the study is to find out the reasons for the lack in the above collaboration. Understanding barriers may help their redressal.

Method

This qualitative phenomenology-based study has been conducted in the most prominent pharmacy institutes, located in Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawar, Sargodha, and Quetta. Academic participants, with a minimum experience of 10 years and designation of assistant professor or above were recruited with a two-stage selection process, purposive sampling and snowball sampling. The data were collected using semi-structured interviews with academic experts. Thematic content analysis was employed to conclude the data.

Results

Analysis of data yielded 8 themes with 18 codes. The main reasons for neglected AIL were explained by a partial or complete lack of industrial research and development activities. Other key factors for the scarcity of AILs were the lack of positive attitude from both industry and academia, applied research in academics, and the research and development of the new molecules in the pharmaceutical industry. Support by the government and the drug regulatory authority of Pakistan in terms of regulatory and academic policies was also perceived to be absent. New horizons in research and development could be opened by providing applied research to industry, including but not limited to new molecule development.

Conclusion

Academia-industry linkage could be boosted with government-backed funded projects and policies. Academia should focus on the industrial-demanded applied research.

KEYWORDS:

• Pharmaceutical industry
• pharmaceutical academia
• research and development

Acknowledgements

The first author acknowledges the facilities and cooperation extended by Punjab University College of Pharmacy university of the Punjab Lahore – Pakistan.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Ethic statement

Ethical approval was obtained from Institutional research ethical committee. Before conducting the interviews, the purpose of the study was explained to every participant. Signed written consent was taken from all participants.

Author contribution

Nadeem Irfan Bukhari, Zia Husnain: Conceptualization, Zobia Mubarak, Nasir Abbas: Data curation, Zobia Mubarak, Furqan Khurshid Hashmi, Nadeem Irfan Bukhari: Formal analysis, Nadeem Irfan Bukhari, Furqan Khurshid Hashmi, Zobia Mubarak: Methodology, Nadeem Irfan Bukhari: Supervision, Zobia Mubarak: writing manuscript Furqan Khurshid Hashmi, Nadeem Irfan Bukhari. Editing and writing.

Data availability statement

The original contributions described it this study are included in the article. further inquiries can be directed to the corresponding author.