Pharmaceutical production at Orion

Production employees have a wide variety of tasks at Orion. Read more about the various jobs and the plant operations!

Orion has six modern production plants in Finland for the manufacture and packaging of medicines and active pharmaceutical ingredients.

The pharmaceutical plants are located in Espoo, Turku, Kuopio and Salo. They manufacture a variety of pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical products, including gels, liquids, injections, tablets, capsules, cytostatics, inhalators, ointments and nasal products.

Orion’s subsidiary Fermion manufactures active pharmaceutical ingredients in Oulu and Hanko.

Production employees’ tasks at the pharmaceutical plants

Pharmaceutical production work includes manufacturing and packaging medicines in clean rooms with different classifications, monitoring production lines, controlling processes, using protective equipment in connection with pharmaceutical production, creating and managing documents, managing cleaning procedures and complying with instructions. The work requires special attention and care, as well as technical skills. Almost all of the work stages are done with the help of machines and equipment, but in some tasks a good level of physical fitness is an advantage or necessary. Finnish language skills are a requirement for nearly all production jobs, as Finnish is our working language, and our instructions and guidelines are in Finnish.

Depending on the department, we work either during the day, in daytime job, two shifts or in a semi-continuous three-shift or continuous five-shift model. In the same position as a rule, each employee works in the same shift and with the same employees. Employees are always informed of their shifts about a year in advance, which helps ensure a better work-life balance.

Read more about the operations of our units and departments in different locations

Espoo

The inhalator department manufactures inhalators for the treatment of asthma and COPD. The production process is divided into mass production, filling and packaging. As a production employee in the inhalator department you can work as a process operator in manufacturing or as a packer of finished inhalators.

The injection department is responsible for the manufacture of injection products up to packaging. The process begins with the preparation of the solution, which is then filled into bottles or ampoules. Each bottle and ampoule is inspected visually before it is transferred to the packaging plant, where the products are packed for customers. The department also has its own washing and equipment maintenance facility, where the equipment used is washed and sterilised.

Tablet production is divided into three phases: preparing the tablet mass, pressing the mass into tablets and applying film coating onto the tablets.

The packaging of tablets takes place at our plant in Salo.

The warehouse operations focus on receiving, dispatching, storing, collecting and sampling of production and packaging materials for the Espoo plant and delivering materials to the various departments. The weighing department is part of the warehouse operations.

Our warehouse operations in Espoo are responsible for weighing raw materials for all the production departments and laboratories of the Espoo plant.
Turku

Tablet production is divided into three phases: preparing the tablet mass, pressing the mass into tablets and applying film coating onto the tablets. Equipment maintenance is an important part of production operations.

Tablet production at the Turku plant also includes a separate department for the manufacture of cytostatics, where tablets are produced and packaged.

The Specialty Products department manufactures products containing cytostatics. The production process is divided into manufacturing pharmaceutical masses and producing and packaging tablets and capsules.

In the cream and gel department, the production processes are divided into the preparation of a semi-sold mass (cream or gel) and its filling and packaging into a laminate stick, a tube, a pump dispenser or a glass bottle. Some products are also encased. Hormones are handled in the gel department, and appropriate protective equipment must be used during certain work phases.

The warehouse operations focus on receiving, dispatching, storing, collecting and sampling production and packaging materials for the Turku plant and delivering materials to the various departments.

The raw material weighing department is responsible for weighing raw materials and pharmaceutical ingredients for the needs of the production departments. The work is quite physical and requires a sufficient level of fitness. Forklift operation skills are an advantage.
Salo

The packaging of tablets takes place at our plant in Salo. The Salo plant has two packaging departments. In our automated tablet packaging plant, we pack tablet products into blister packs and bottles. The packaging is fully automated on modern packaging lines. In our manual packaging department, we carry out various types of packaging work in accordance with customers’ needs, both manually and with mechanical assistance.

The warehouse operations are extensive as Orion’s main warehouse is located in Salo. Almost all of Orion’s end products are shipped to other countries from this large warehouse. In addition to shipping, we receive and store end products and raw materials. We also collect and deliver materials for the needs of the packaging plants.
Kuopio
Hanko and Oulu, Fermion

Orion’s subsidiary Fermion manufactures active pharmaceutical ingredients in Oulu and Hanko, for both Orion’s own use and external customers. Our work involves generic pharmaceutical ingredients, as well as Orion’s and our contract customers’ proprietary pharmaceutical ingredients.

The Hanko plant produces pharmaceutical ingredients with annual volumes of thousands of kilos.

The Oulu plant typically manufactures high-potency pharmaceutical ingredients with low annual volumes, but with demanding and lengthy manufacturing processes.

Job descriptions

At Orion, many production employees work under the title of process operator. Below is a more detailed description of the tasks that a process operator’s job may involve.

A process operator in the inhalator department manufactures inhalable powders, supervises and operates filling lines, and takes care of the maintenance and preparation of the equipment and instruments. In the tablet department, tasks may include mass production, tableting, coating and operating production machinery. Process operators also work in the injection and Speciality Products departments, as well as in solution manufacturing, where the employee is responsible for the manufacturing process of each department’s product.

The duties of all process operators include documentation, process control, taking samples, quality control, preparation, installation and dismantling of equipment and instruments, cleaning operations and troubleshooting.

The job description of a process operator consists of different work stages, and titles describing these duties are given to the people carrying them out, which are presented below.

The duties of a mass preparer include the preparation of pharmaceutical masses using various types of equipment and processes, and the cleaning of equipment and instruments.

The duties of a tablet maker include pressing masses into tablets using modern tablet machines, as well as dismantling, cleaning and installing tablet machines.

The duties of a tablet coater include coating tablets with a drum coater.

The duties of a raw material weigher include weighing raw materials on various weighing stations or in an isolator and grinding.

An equipment technician is responsible for the cleaning, drying and checking the cleanliness of parts that are in contact with products.

The aim of a cream preparer is to use the manufacturing equipment to prepare emollient creams as well as medicinal creams, gels and solutions, promoting flexible production that is as efficient and disturbance-free as possible.

Most of our departments in different locations also have their own packaging and warehousing operations. You can read more about these job descriptions below.

A packaging line mechanic/operator and packer has full responsibility for the operation of the packaging line. You can work on packaging lines in our different departments and locations. The varied role includes controlling the operation of the line, which involves installations, keeping the line running and helping to solve any problems that may arise. Duties include documentation, process control, quality control, cleaning operations and responding to incidents.

Warehouse employees are responsible for a variety of varied tasks in the warehouse that involve responsibility, such as receiving material, shelving, collecting for packaging operations and dispatching.

As a production employee at Orion’s subsidiary Fermion, you can work under the title of process operator.

As a process operator at Fermion you are responsible for the management and supervision of chemical processes. Your duties include operating and cleaning both manual and automated production machines, as well as recording the work stages and quality control.

Are you interested in working as a production employee in our pharmaceutical plant and being involved in building well-being?

You can submit your application on our Open vacancies page.

Open vacancies

At Orion, your work creates true impact and well-being for our customers, patients and society at large. See our open vacancies at Orion and Fermion and join us in building well-being!

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Pharmaceutical production at Orion

Production employees’ tasks at the pharmaceutical plants

Read more about the operations of our units and departments in different locations

Espoo

Turku

Salo

Kuopio

Hanko and Oulu, Fermion

Job descriptions

Open vacancies