2025 - SOP Writing, Training and Compliance in the Pharmaceutical Industry

Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are the basis for a large part of the day-to-day training that most pharmaceutical employees are required to perform. Still, it is not widely understood the extent of the commitments we make when we write an SOP or how the writing of the SOP can have a positive or negative impact on training or job performance. For example, there is an expectation that procedures describe the most critical processes for product manufacturing and will be followed consistently, with few if any deviations. In this course you will learn the keys to writing effective SOPs, the vital connection between the documentation and training spheres, and how to maximize this connection to improve the quality of both SOPs and training.
To accomplish these goals, we will review regulatory agency expectations when an SOP is written, provide suggestions for uncovering the process in its entirety and describe it clearly and concisely, indicate how to break portions of the process(es) into logical chunks, and show how the SOP and the training program can work together harmoniously.
Understanding how the average employee is swamped with more work than they can manage, we will also provide tips for shortening this process and take advantage of tools that probably already exist in the systems that you use on a day-to-day basis. We will provide valuable insights and examples that reflect the extensive experience of the instructor in the documentation and training fields., and which can assist you in writing and implementing SOPs with maximum efficiency and effectiveness.
Regulatory requirements for SOPs
Using process excellence tools to create a robust process and procedure
What commitments you make when you put your process in writing
Keeping training in mind while writing procedures
Consequences of noncompliance
Define the parameters of an effective SOP
How your foundation keeps subsequent steps from going awry
Why poorly written procedures have a negative impact on production
What identifies a poorly written procedure
Compliance risks with ambiguity or excessive detail
Interact with the SOP process owner/author to improve the writing of procedures
Integrate the SOP effectively into the position curricula of employees
Relationship between SOPs and employees’ training curricula
Why the training department needs to be in the loop at the start of the SOP development process
Retention of the content at the training stage
The implications of good training for successful SOP execution
Perform an ongoing assessment of knowledge retention of SOPs for continuous improvement
Review of learning objectives