Read this - Before doing any Pharmacovigilance Course

Read this - Before doing any Pharmacovigilance Course

Hey Hi, 
I hope you are doing well. 

Are you thinking to do any Pharmacovigilance Course? 

Then this article is really helpful for you. You know that Pharmacovigilance in India is a fast-growing field and creating a large number of job opportunities for fresher as well as experienced professionals. You must have seen the Pharmacovigilance job advertisements, walk-in an interview post on social media for Pharmacovigilance for some vendor companies like TCS, Cognizant or Bioclinica, etc. These companies usually hire in life science associates (B Pharma or M pharma). 

Wide Range of Job Opportunities: 

As such companies are offering Pharmacovigilance job opportunities in Mumbai, Pune or other cities in India, hiring such positions in bulk and frequent times in a year. Usually, companies are hiring for the positions of:        

• Case trigger or case receipt and book in associate. 
• Case processer,  
• Quality checker,
• Medical writer,
• Signal detection associate,
• Aggregate report writer.  

As an increase in demand for Pharmacovigilance jobs for freshers as well as experienced candidates, the number of Pharmacovigilance training institutes are also growing very rapidly in Indian metro cities and some of them offering placements as well.  

Did you know that such institutes are charging fees in thousands or in lacks of rupees? 

Is Pharmacovigilance Course is really needed? 

Did you think that whether vendor companies or core pharma companies were asked for any Courses or certifications?  Most of the companies never ask for the Pharmacovigilance Course but some of them defiantly ask you the experience because as per there work in demand situation. 

If these companies not asking for any Pharmacovigilance Course or any certification then do, we need to do such Courses? 

The answer is clear, as no need to do any Course for Pharmacovigilance? 

If you are thinking that then how we will beginners will get the information or improve knowledge of drug safety?
Don't Worry, I will share some important list of websites at the end of this blog post that will help you to grow your knowledge in this field.  

Clarification on Pharmacovigilance Courses? 

Just ask a question to yourself, as to why do you want to do this Course?  

If your mind said: 

• My friend did this Course: Here, your friend did the Pharmacovigilance Course and you know the owner or training institute is offering a discount on its fees; hence you want to do a course that doesn’t make a sense. 

• The training institute is offering a discount on its fees: Here offers, discounts or cashback offers are only to attract candidates and to convince them to purchase the course. 

• The training institute teacher, mentor or owner is my friend or I know him: Just because of the above reason you cannot do the course or else you can ask them for placement. 

• To gain more information about the drug safety field: If you want to grow your knowledge then you should just google the term Pharmacovigilance and you will get tons of information on the same topic. 

• To update the drug safety course or certification in your resume: Usually, multinational companies never ask for such kinds of certifications. 

Some Important Points:

Many training institutes have identified the pain point of beginners. As beginners were not know anything on such topics hence some training institutes are calling to such candidates and convincing them to purchase their course which was created for beginners only and will be benefited to them. Such training institutes are charging thousands of rupees or sometimes up to lacks of rupees as well.  

This kind of training institutes is offering drug safety training as classroom training or distance learning training (Online or Offline). Most such training institutes are fraud once they receive money from candidates then they will not provide any kind of support to the candidates. After that, the beginner candidate will realize that the training Insititute was cheated him.  

Hence, by considering the above point I would not recommend to purchase any Pharmacovigilance Course.  

But there are some reputed institutes as well and some of our friends also want to join and want to do the same courses then they can follow the same best practices as below. 

Some Preventive measures or best practices to avoid cheating or fraud. 

• Check the review of the training institute whether it is a scam or genuine: It is always better to check the review of the training institute. You can just put the name of the institute in google and write in front it as scam or review. Then search it, you will get numbers of the websites on the same. Just by doing a simple search, you can get a lot more information on the same. 

• Avoid phone calls with them: Nowadays, we are receiving many calls from different tele-callers for a different reason like to sell there product, credit card or any service. If you receive a call from any institute or firm and if they are trying to convince you or ask you to purchase their course, then try to avoid or disconnect the call. Usually, the institute is hiring ladies for communication or telemarketing purpose and sometimes they can directly ask or convince the candidates to purchase or deposit the money in their bank account. Hence to avoid such calls or not to receive their calls is a better option. 

• Do not click any link which was shared by them with you: You might have also received unnecessary emails in your inbox. Sometimes attractive titles would convince you to click on their external hyperlink. Such hyperlink might be phishy or a link that will harmful to your laptop or mobile device. Which might be stealing your important or personnel information from your laptop or mobile device. 

• Visit the location of the training institute: If you get the call from the training institute then you can ask them the address of the same or else you can google it out the same and try to visit the location. Check classrooms, their office and try to find whether the institute is genuine or fraud. 

• Attend some sample or guest lecture: Nowadays there is a trend of some sample products that consumers can utilize. So, you can take the benefit of the same strategy and take permission from the institute to attend the guest lecture. If you would love their course then you can think about it. 

• Ask them for some sample study material as well as syllabus of the same course: Once you attend the guest lecture then you can demand them for the full syllabus or some notes or study material. 

• Get more information about the training institute: Try to get more information about the institute, check their success rate, have a discussion with your friends, colleagues, teachers or seniors on the same and get more information on the same. 

• Check the reputation: By checking the reputation of the training institute, you will get the trust flow of the same. So, you can rely on.

• Check the placement support: Check how many candidates from the previous batch was actually placed on different companies from the same institute. Try to connect with them and get to know the reality. 

• Pay them later or after you get a job: You can ask the institute about payment policy and ask them that you will pay them after you will get an actual job. This strategy will definitely help you to find a good training institute. 

• Get everything in writing: It is always better than what you have discussed with them, you should take down in written format.  

Qualification required:

Anyone from life science can do the Pharmacovigilance Course. However, it was also important to review which specific graduation was hired by different companies. 

From the walk-in interview advertisements and from different job portal sites, I have reviewed the number of the job post and it was observed that many vendor companies, as well as core pharmaceutical companies, had a requirement of Bachelor of pharmacy, master of pharmacy, BAMS, BHMS and BDS only. Usually, such companies were not hiring for the master of science (MSC) or Bachelor of Science (BSC). Some new startup companies usually hire for beginner MSC or BSC candidates on a low salary. Candidates feel satisfied or happy with their new jobs but after a few years later they realize the truth behind the same.

Due to this reason, training institutes were taking benefits of the same and they were targeting such BSC and MSc candidates to sell their Courses as beginners were unaware of such a situation, because of that they sometimes purchase the course.  

Alternatives for Pharmacovigilance Course: 

I usually refer to:- 

• Principle of Pharmacovigilance: The author of this book is Dr.S.B.Bhise. Pharmacovigilance is an emerging area for employment in recent years. Background of drugs is an advantage for anybody who wants to make a career in pharmacovigilance. Hence, pharmacists are well-suited to exploit the opportunity. The job potential is both local as well as global. 

Credit: Amazon

Opportunities are enormous; only one has to make a commitment to the career. Hence, the first book in the series on Principles of Pharmacovigilance is presented here. 

• Textbook of Pharmacovigilance Concept and Practice: The textbook deals with all aspects ranging from concept to practice of pharmacovigilance. It covers the historical background in the evolution of this emerging science, India’s and global scenario, the science of pharmacovigilance, and pharmacovigilance of the Indian system of medicine. 

Credit: Amazon

The outstanding features are: Written in an easily understandable style and Case studies on drug withdrawal and causality analysis. 

• ICH efficacy guidelines: You should follow the International Council for Harmonization (ICH) guidelines for Pharmacovigilance which is sufficient for a fresher’s interview and the same will also improve your knowledge for the Pharmacovigilance process as well.

ICH efficacy guidelines

• EMA Guideline on Good Pharmacovigilance Practices (GVP): Freshers and experienced professionals also refer the module for Pharmacovigilance published on  European medicinal agency which will improve your in-depth knowledge.

  

  EMA Guideline

• Different blogs or website on Pharmacovigilance: To update your knowledge on pharmacovigilance you can google it out the same terminologies and search the blogs or website which provides information on the same topic. You will definitely get the information about the latest or upcoming trends in this field.

• Different videos on the YouTube channel: You can also find the same information on youtube as well. Nowadays many there are many training institutes or senior and experienced professionals are publishing their content on youtube channel with free of cost. 

• Official content prepared by MNCs: Those who are experienced one they will definitely focus on their day to the daily work environment and should learn, improve knowledge from your organization's reference course material which was written and reviewed by experts from your organization.  

Trust me guys, the knowledge or information you gained from the above resources had a value of more than any course that you purchase from any training institute. This is all freely available around yourself. Take the benefit of that and boost your career.

I hope you liked my blog post on the pharmacovigilance course. Please share the same with your friend and colleague. 

If you have any doubts on the same topic then feel free to comment or also comment on which topic you need my next post. 

Till then,
Namaste.