25/09/2026
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๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ | ๐๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ณ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ณ ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ฌ๐ด ๐โจ
What does it take to build a career in the pharmaceutical industry? For Mrs. Mary Lou Pangilinan-Cabalbag, RPh, the answer lies in being open to opportunities, standing by your values, and allowing your career to evolve.
After passing the Pharmacy Licensure Examination in 2018, she began her career in manufacturing in Bulacan. While the experience gave her valuable exposure, she eventually realized that manufacturing was not the path she wanted to pursue. This led her to explore regulatory affairs, a field she initially knew very little about.
From there, her career continued to grow across different areas of the pharmaceutical industry, including regulatory affairs, consulting, pharmacovigilance, post-marketing surveillance, FDA liaison work, and product management. Each role brought new responsibilities and challenges, from coordinating with the FDA and handling consumer complaints to reviewing documents, ensuring compliance, and communicating with different departments and company leaders.
In a corporate environment where business and sales are major priorities, pharmacists must still stand by their professional oath and ensure that decisions remain aligned with safety, compliance, and what is right for the patient. She reminded us, is not simply about following rules. It is about making sound decisions when the answer is not always obvious.
Even with opportunities to work in Australia and establish her own pharmacy, she chose to continue pursuing the path that felt more aligned with her purpose. Her journey continues to evolve, proving that success does not have one definition, and your destination does not have to look like someone elseโs.
As she shared, โYour Pharmacy degree is a foundation, not a limitation.โ ๐๐
A reminder for every aspiring pharmacist: do not compare your journey with others. Keep moving forward, carry your lessons with you, and allow each chapter to shape the professional you are becoming. ๐
โ๏ธ: Nicole Columbano
๐ผ๏ธ: Jhanelle Zyrine Manalo