Life Science "Good Manufacturing Practices" Training Comes Close to Home

Thousands of Utahns employed in the Life Sciences industry are in need of regular training to stay up to date on current regulations, new interpretations, best practices, and tools. Many such jobs have a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requirement for periodic training in what are called "Good Manufacturing Practices."  

Finding convenient, cost-effective opportunities for continuing education is another matter. Courses are available around the country, but require high admission fees (typically $600 for a one-day course), travel expenses, and time away from work. With the current state of the economy, Utah companies are looking for lower-cost solutions that can still provide appropriate training.   

In collaboration with USTAR and the Intermountain Biomedical Association, Salt Lake Community College's Corporate Solutions has designed a one-day training seminar to provide employees of local Life Sciences companies with the knowledge and tools to develop, audit or refine a Current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) program.  

The cost is $125 per person ($62.50 for qualified companies), and it takes place close to home, at the Salt Lake Community College, Miller Business Resource Center in Sandy, on May 19^th from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. A continental breakfast and lunch will be provided.  To register, contact Shannon Strickland at (801) 957-5293 or shannon.strickland@slcc.edu, or visit www.slcc.edu/customfit. 

Objectives of the course include: 

• Attain a heightened appreciation for the practical implementation and use of the cGMPs and the FDA's expectations.
• Understand the benefits of the cGMPs to a company's bottom line.
• Improve knowledge of the benefits of working closely with regulatory agencies to remain compliant with industry standards.
• Identify the time and cost savings from an upfront implementation of cGMPs. 

Attendees will receive a workbook with Standard Operating Procedure templates, sample reports, and other information to enable practical implementation of course concepts.  The course will meet annual training requirements for employee files.   

The course is designed for the following types of Life Sciences staff in start-ups and established companies: 

• Senior management
• Regulatory affairs
• Quality assurance
• Marketing
• R&D
• Engineering
• Technical and non-technical staff
• Students 

"All Utah companies that are regulated by FDA guidelines will benefit from these courses," said Suzanne Winters, USTAR Technology Outreach Regional Director. "Our research indicates Utah has nearly 600 medical device companies, pharmaceutical manufacturers, research organizations, laboratory and testing facilities, and natural products companies that all need to comply with FDA regulations." 

The course's two instructors have a combined 48 years of experience in the field. Scott D. Gochnour is Executive Director, Transdermal Development, at Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc. of Salt Lake City, and John E. Lincoln is principle of J.E. Lincoln and Associates, a consulting firm based in St. George serving the medical device, pharmaceutical, and nutraceutical industries. 

"The Intermountain Biomedical Association, USTAR and the College began working together last fall to identify how to strengthen Utah's life science community," said Rose Defa, Director of Corporate Training, Miller Business Resource Center, Salt Lake Community College. "Through a survey conducted by USTAR, a strong need was identified for inexpensive, locally provided training courses or seminars on regulatory compliance. IBA identified the speakers, and the College committed resources to make it happen. It's a great example of cooperation between private industry, higher education, and state government." 

According to EDCUtah, approximately 15,000 Utahns are employed in the Life Sciences industry. Of this 15,000, roughly 8,000 work in a position dealing with device manufacturing, 4,000 work in R & D and an estimated 3,000 are employed in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical manufacturing sector (Source: Utah Life Sciences Industry Profile 2007, Economic Development Corp of Utah).   

About Salt Lake Community College

Under the direction of President Cynthia A. Bioteau Salt Lake Community College is an accredited, multi-campus college serving the diverse needs of the Salt Lake City community. With an open-door enrollment policy, the College serves more than 60,000 students through credit and non-credit courses and workshops each year, making it the largest institution of higher education in Utah. 

To accommodate student needs, SLCC has three full-service campuses: South City, Taylorsville Redwood, Jordan; eleven teaching centers located throughout the Salt Lake Valley and an eCampus for distance learning. Courses are offered in both traditional and accelerated semesters, during the day, at night and on weekends. Even in the face of dramatically increasing student enrollments, the College has preserved its personal feel by maintaining a student to faculty ratio of just to 20 to 1. 

About USTAR

The Utah Science Technology and Research initiative (USTAR) is a long-term, state-funded investment to strengthen Utah's "knowledge economy" and generate high-paying jobs. Funded in March 2006 by the State Legislature, USTAR is based on three program areas. The first area involves funding for strategic investments at the University of Utah and Utah State University to recruit world-class researchers. The second area is to build state-of-the-art interdisciplinary facilities at these institutions for the innovation teams. The third program area involves teams that work with companies and entrepreneurs across the State to promote science, innovation, and commercialization activities. For more information, go to www.innovationutah.com or follow http://twitter.com/Innovationutah.