The guided visits will take place on Thursday afternoon. They will include a guided tour of the following pharmaceutical companies which are based in Montreal or in close vicinity: Merck Frosst, Ratiopharm, Sabex and Wyeth. The activity will include a visit of the companies' laboratories and a short conference by a pharmacist on-site concerning the pharmacist's role within the company and various career options available in pharmaceutical research and development. Information will be provided before the conference for students who wish to participate and registration will take place during the evening of the opening banquet.
Merck Frosst, headquartered in Montreal, is one of Canada's leading research-based pharmaceutical companies and employs more than 1900 people including over 300 of the world's leading scientists and researchers. The Merck Frosst Centre for Therapeutic Research, one of the largest biomedical research facilities in Canada, has as a mandate to discover new therapies. This company is firmly committed to science education and sponsors a number of programs across the country designed to spark young people's interest in science.
By striving to become an industry leader by offering Canadian pharmacists an expanded range of products and professional services, Ratiopharm is now one of the most valued generic suppliers to Canadian pharmacy. It currently markets over 250 generic products in a wide variety of dosage forms and therapeutic classes across Canada. With 100 new generic products expected to be released in the next five years, Ratiopharm will continue to offer a broad range of product choices to Canadian pharmacy.
Sabex specializes in the development and manufacturing of generic pharmaceutical products in sterile injectable and ophthalmic forms, as well as suppositories. Sabex distributes these and other high-quality pharmaceuticals to Canadian hospitals and pharmacies. Sabex continues to uphold its commitment towards Canadian customers, while becoming increasingly active in foreign markets.
Wyeth is a global leader in pharmaceuticals, consumer health care products, and animal health care products. In Montreal, they specialize in non-prescription drugs. Wyeth Consumer Healthcare is built on strong global brands, including some of the world's most popular and best-known consumer health care products. Three of their well-established product lines - Advil®, Centrum®, and Robitussin® - are among the top 12 non-prescription medicines in the world. Other key brands include Chap Stick®, the Caltrate® family of calcium supplements, Preparation H®, Dimetapp®, and Solgar® vitamins and nutritional supplements.