The Medicinal Chemistry Section of IUPAC sent a questionnaire regarding academic training for medicinal chemists to major research pharmaceutical companies in various countries in July 1992 and again in July 1993. A total of 102 replies were received from 65 companies, mainly from Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the USA, and these have been analysed and the results are presented. Most companies (> 90%) indicated that they seek to hire organic chemists who may have received some additional education in medicinal chemistry, rather than hire specialists in medicinal chemistry. The subjects most often mentioned as being desirable for the additional education were biochemistry (or drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics), pharmacology and physiology, computer modelling and QSAR, and molecular biology.