For Ukrainian pharmacy students Nikita and Kateryna from the National University of Pharmacy in Kharkiv, their internship at Grindeks marks more than just a required academic step – it’s their first meaningful dive into the pharmaceutical industry.
Originally from Dnipro, Nikita relocated to Kharkiv to pursue a degree in pharmaceutical technology and management. “My qualification is engineer-technologist,” he explains. Kateryna, his groupmate, joined the same program after completing a pharmaceutical college and transitioning into the second year of the bachelor’s program. “We’re from the same department, the same group – studying side by side,” she notes.
Due to the ongoing conflict and global restrictions, both students had minimal prior hands-on experience. “We had a short introductory internship that lasted about a week,” says Nikita. “It was more like a series of excursions at the company ‘Farmak’. We didn’t really get to work with real equipment or understand full processes.”
That changed the moment they stepped into the production facilities of Grindeks.
“We’ve now seen everything from A to Z,” says Kateryna with visible enthusiasm. “In the mornings, we’re in the final dosage forms department, and in the afternoons, we had the opportunity to explore the operations of the quality control, pharmacovigilance, FDF and API development labs, and analytics .”
The students are gaining exposure to processes they’d only studied theoretically. “I finally saw how weighing, sampling, and documentation are done in real time,” Nikita says. “We’ve observed the machines we’d only seen in textbooks. Now I understand how everything fits together.”
Kateryna agrees, adding that even seemingly routine tasks revealed layers of complexity. “I never realized how massive and meticulous the entire process is – not just making medicines, but developing them and launching them onto the market,” she says. “And even after launch, the company monitors the drug for years to ensure patient safety. That really surprised me.”
For Nikita, an international academic stint in Estonia earlier this year provided a helpful foundation. “In early 2024, I studied chemistry at the Faculty of Medicine in Tartu through the Erasmus+ program,” he recalls. “It helped me understand what’s happening in the labs here – I had a frame of reference.”
What also struck both students was the unexpected culture within the company. “At first, I thought people were being cold – raising their eyebrows at me,” Nikita laughs. “But once we were introduced by our mentor, Elena, I realized how open and communicative everyone is. We asked everything – even how often the place is vacuumed and always got answers.”
Kateryna was equally impressed by the team’s professionalism and enthusiasm. “I was amazed at how willingly people explained every detail,” she says. “My operator, Marina, has worked here for nine years, and she still loves what she does. She knows every parameter of her machine and is excited to keep learning.”
When asked whether they see themselves in pharmaceutical production or development, both students are still exploring. “It’s a tough question,” admits Nikita. “I used to think pharmacovigilance was just a state authority. Now I know each company has its own system – and it’s critical.”
Kateryna reflects more personally: “Development appeals to me because it opens a creative mindset. But I also think starting out in production, maybe as an operator or assistant technologist, would help me understand the industry’s core. In the future, I might lean toward development – but this hands-on work is essential.”
One thing is clear – this internship has transformed abstract theories into tangible skills. “I feel like my knowledge has increased tenfold,” says Nikita. “Now I understand what the machines do, why we follow strict protocols, and how much responsibility rests on every decision.”
With a deepening understanding of pharmaceutical technologies and a newfound respect for those behind the scenes, both students are leaving Grindeks not only with practical knowledge but also with renewed inspiration for what lies ahead.
