Drug Safety as a Career

I was looking for a change in direction for my pharmacy career when I came across Medipharm Solutions on LinkedIn. 

As a pharmacist with a diverse background, I was looking to apply my experience to a position in the pharmaceutical industry. Having experience as a project manager in a clinical study in the nursing home sector looking at adverse drug events and previously working as a consultant pharmacist doing drug reviews,  I wanted to continue my career in the area of preventing, minimizing, and educating of adverse events. I enjoyed the detailed detective work that drug safety entailed, so I decided that a position in this field would be a good fit for my interests. But I knew there was a gap that I needed to fill in order to apply for this position. 

I started searching the web for a program or class that would bridge this gap, but also one that would not require going back for another degree or cost an arm and a leg. Looking at the type of instruction, length of commitment, fit, and cost, Medipharm fit everything I was looking for in a class. I knew that I needed a live component to the class and an instructor I could ask questions. Dr Abhishek Pitti, the Medipharm’s founder and one of the instructors, has a warm and engaging method of teaching that is inspiring. 

The Medipharm’s Drug Safety Course covers information that is delivered in methods that are easy to absorb. The structure of the program is clear, logical and effective with teaching methods that include modules, live presentations followed by a question and answer period, and hands on activities with individual feedback to simulate on the job training. Invaluable to me is the access to a teacher, like Dr Pitti, who is invested in my success as a student. 

Pharmacovigilance requires an understanding of industry terms, guidelines, regulations, regulatory associations, and an understanding of clinical trials. Medipharm breaks the material down and divides into sections such as causality assessment, expectedness vs listedness, and serious adverse reactions. From there,  a presentation is also part of the module in order to expand upon the material. Unique to this program is a marketing component that helps you find a position within industry once finished with the program. 

This program is exactly what I was looking for to prepare me for a drug safety position.