The weak link.

It worry me to realise that many of our Malaysian manufacturers choose to ignore the risk we faced when many of their operation personnel are inadequately trained. The percentage is higher amongst the cosmetics and traditional/herbal product manufacturer, as compared to the pharma.

Yes, most of us acknowledge the importance trainings play to ensure compliance to set procedures and GMP requirements. GMP auditors too always look into this matter during their surveillance audits. But how many actually put in concerted effort for a proper training need analysis, and plan their training program...?

'No problem' one might say, and add, 'Just send to any one of the GMP training program available'.

But then, how many personnel can the company afford to sent to such trainings? Mind you, most of these trainings are expensive....... How often such training are available? And are these training tailored to meet the participants' organization needs?

While external trainings are considered useful to accquire new knowledge and achieving a higher level of competency, I find internal trainings as the most dependable tool to ensure that ALL operation personnel are adequately trainned to execute their job functions and to understand (and thus comply) to the numerous GMP rules and requirements.

Get a subject matter expert (SME) in the organization to 'teach' subjects best know to them. If such SME are not available, do not fear to fork out a small sum of money to engage external SMEs for conduct on your internal trainings. Get your calculator and calculate the cost you incur by calling an external SME to train your few groups of personnel. Add the saving you obtained from your personnel travelling and accomodation (as required for external training), you'll easily concur with me the substantial savings you 'accquire'. What about the benefits you get when such trainings are specifically tuned to meet your current needs...? You can't value that.!

So dear fellow friends..... plug that weak link in your operation. Do something to improve GMP compliance. Conduct internal trainings.!