Recruiter's Glossary

Examples: Technology Transfer • Pharmacology • Drug Candidate Selection

Pharmacokinetics

Term from Pharmaceutical Research industry explained for recruiters

Pharmacokinetics is the study of how drugs move through the body - essentially tracking what the body does to a medicine. Think of it like following a package's delivery route, but instead of tracking a parcel, researchers track how a drug is absorbed, spreads throughout the body, changes, and is eventually eliminated. This is crucial for determining proper drug dosages and timing. When you see this term on a resume, it means the candidate has experience in studying and analyzing how medications interact with the body. Related terms you might see include "PK studies," "drug metabolism," or "ADME" (which stands for Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, and Excretion).

Examples in Resumes

Conducted Pharmacokinetics and PK studies for new cancer treatments

Led team analyzing Pharmacokinetic profiles of experimental diabetes medications

Developed protocols for Pharmacokinetics research in pediatric drug development

Typical job title: "Pharmacokineticists"

Also try searching for:

Clinical Pharmacologist PK/PD Scientist DMPK Scientist Pharmacokinetics Researcher Drug Metabolism Scientist Clinical Research Scientist Pharmaceutical Scientist

Where to Find Pharmacokineticists

Professional Organizations

Job Boards

Professional Networks

Example Interview Questions

Senior Level Questions

Q: How would you explain the importance of pharmacokinetics in drug development to stakeholders?

Expected Answer: Look for answers that demonstrate ability to communicate complex concepts simply, explain how PK affects drug safety and effectiveness, and show understanding of drug development process from research to market.

Q: Describe a challenging pharmacokinetic study you managed and how you overcame any obstacles.

Expected Answer: Should demonstrate leadership skills, problem-solving abilities, and deep understanding of study design and execution, while showing how they handle real-world challenges in drug research.

Mid Level Questions

Q: What factors can affect drug absorption and distribution in the body?

Expected Answer: Should be able to explain basic concepts like how food, age, other medications, and patient characteristics can impact how drugs move through the body, using clear, non-technical language.

Q: How do you determine appropriate dosing schedules for new medications?

Expected Answer: Should explain the relationship between drug concentrations in the body over time and how this information is used to determine how often and how much medication should be given.

Junior Level Questions

Q: What is the difference between single-dose and multiple-dose studies?

Expected Answer: Should be able to explain basic study designs - single dose looks at how one dose moves through the body, while multiple dose studies show what happens when patients take repeated doses over time.

Q: What basic software tools do you use for pharmacokinetic analysis?

Expected Answer: Should be familiar with common industry software and basic data analysis tools used in PK research, showing they can handle routine analysis tasks.