Accenture and ICRI enter into a strategic partnership
Jointly launch a programme in Pharmacovigilance to make students market ready
Tweet-- Accenture (NYSE: ACN) and the Institute of Clinical Research in India (ICRI) today announced that it will jointly develop a Pharmacovigilance and clinical research programme customized to meet the growing industry requirements of the thriving sector.
Titled as 'Post Graduate Diploma in Clinical Research and Pharmacovigilance', the programme curriculum will span over a period of 6 to 12 months or an aggregate of 360 hours. The content of the course covers four essential modules: Basics of Clinical research, Pharmacology, Pharmacovigilance and Regulations; Case Processing; Aggregate Report; Risk Management in Pharmacovigilance & Signal Detection.
"India is emerging as a hub for clinical research and the demand for professionals in this field is growing rapidly. Accenture aspires to meet this massive demand for clinical research professionals by coming together with ICRI to develop professionals that are valuable and employable in the industry. We want to make this an interesting career option. As an added incentive, we foresee this field to have a massive growth potential" said Manish Sharma Lead, Service Delivery Operations, APAC, BPO Growth Platform, Accenture. He further added, "We are proud to be associated with a prestigious institute like ICRI to nurture and develop some of the brightest talent in the country"
Dr S.K. Gupta, Dean and Director General of ICRI said, "This kind of initiative is imperative in a nascent yet thriving industry such as ours. With Accenture's subject matter expertise and our faculty's dedication, we seek to provide a knowledgeable and high-skilled talent pool graduating from this programme".
Rajiv Verma, Chief Operating Officer, ICRI added, "The programme, will be initially available in the cities of Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore. The course aims to equip students with practical industry knowledge and placement opportunities to students graduating from the program."
Accenture will lend its expertise in terms of training the trainer, curriculum content development, curriculum execution and delivery through periodical guest lectures, periodic certification and re-assessment of trainers based on predefined standards to ensure consistent quality of training and up gradation of course content as per industry requirements.
The Accenture-ICRI diploma programme is targeted towards post graduate students from Tier I to Tier IV cities. The minimum eligibility criterion for an applicant is Graduate/Post Graduate in Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy & Life sciences. Applicants will need to have passed the Accenture-ICRI certificate course in PG Diploma in Clinical Research & Pharmacovigilance. Depending on the performance, Accenture will screen applicants through campus interviews for employment at Accenture.
A certification will be issued by ICRI in association with Accenture to the candidates who have successfully completed the programme.
Pharmacovigilance is the science and actions relating unfolding to detection, evaluation, understanding and prevention of adverse effects or any other likely medicine related problems. The main aim of pharmacovigilance is to improve patient care and safety in relation to use of medicines and other interventions. Despite all the benefits of medicines in disease management, there continues to be problems related to adverse reactions which are important cause for morbidity and mortality in many countries. Significant harm to even a few patients, not only destroys the credibility of the medicine, the patients also tend to lose trust on the health system. A good Pharmacovigilance system will identify the risks in the shortest possible time, so that any harm can be avoided or minimized. The most frightening thought for any pharma company is the prospect of a drug withdrawal. As the costs associated with product withdrawals escalate the importance of pharmacovigilance increases.
India has more than half a million qualified Doctors and 15, 000 hospitals having bed strength of 6, 24,000. It is the fourth largest producer of pharmaceuticals in the world. Many new drugs are being introduced in our country. Therefore, there is a need for a vibrant Pharmacovigilance system in the country to protect the population from the potential harm that may be caused by some of these new drugs. The most effective way to avoid a safety crisis is to implement a progressive Pharmacovigilance strategy now. Keeping this in view the alliance is aimed to help strengthen the roots of ICRI in the field of pharmaceuticals and further the cause of grooming professionals in Industry in India, to face exciting challenges posed by the Industry and also pave the way for new career opportunities in the field.
Notes to Editor
About ICRI:
ICRI is pioneer in India's offering Clinical Research and Healthcare Management education. ICRI was established in 2004 with the sole objective of meeting growing demand for skilled Clinical Research professionals. ICRI has been promoting India as an upcoming Clinical Research destination in the world by organizing various domestic and international Conferences. ICRI also has tie-up with Cranfield University, UK and Medical University of South Carolina, USA. It offers various Degree/ Diploma courses in Clinical Research and Healthcare Management. With 4000 ICRI students working in Clinical Research industry, it has seen around 95% placement over the last 4 years. With campuses in Bangalore, Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Dehradun, UK and Singapore, it is the largest Clinical Research institute by student number in the world. ICRI's web address is www.icriindia.com