Podcast Episode 4: Interview with Dave, Pharmaceutical Safety Assessment

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A dear friend of mine, Dave, and I got together for a little while to have a Skype conversation on about some important work he performs in the pharmaceutical drug design industry. He answers questions with respect and really made me feel like a student by truly caring about my understanding of the subject material. True to his abilty, he uses analogies and examples to include laypeople into the conversation. I really appreciate how he makes extra effort to make this very difficult topic accessible for myself and listeners. Dave talks about preventing events and safety concerns. Locks (receptors on cells - a.k.a. targets) and keys (molecules, or compounds for testing).

Labeling is one of the biggest potential errors. Standard operating procedures (SOPs) exist for labeling, double and triple self checking, and peer reviews (the quality assurance group observes to ensure the SOP is being followed properly).

Dave's definition of Accountability - making sure you did what you said you were going to do.

Everything we do needs to be conducted with integrity. No safety issue (adverse effect) can be overlooked.

Training demands- 12 different "refresher" classes scheduled each year (external and internal training - narrated online CBTs). Initial training is in a classroom environment.