Contract Medical Information & Compliance Pharmacist (6 months)

Company Description We are a global specialty and branded pharmaceutical company, improving the health of patients across the world through our high quality and affordable medicines. Active at every stage of the value chain, we are uniquely diversified by geography, product and manufacturing capability.

Aspen is a dynamic organization built on entrepreneurial strength and forward-thinking minds. We attract high performing individuals who are passionate about their career and have a desire to exceed expectations. At Aspen, not only do we source for the best talent, but we also provide a host of opportunities for continuous development.

The Group’s key business segments are Manufacturing and Commercial Pharmaceuticals comprising Regional Brands and Sterile Focus Brands. We have approximately 9 100 employees at 69 established offices in over 50 countries and we improve the health of patients in more than 150 countries through our high quality, affordable medicines.

OBJECTIVE OF ROLE To support the SA Commercial Business to realize the commercial strategy and to achieve the annual targeted growth and revenue through successful new product introductions and maintenance of current product portfolio in the South Africa and Southern African Development Community (SADC) region, by ensuring successful Marketing Authorisation and variation approval from the SAHPRA and Regulatory Authorities of the SADC member states within the committed timeframe.

To ensure Aspen Pharmacare’s SA product portfolio complies with the related Acts and guidelines to support and maintain registration in South Africa. To ensure growth and sustainability of Aspen Pharmacare’s SA product portfolio within the legislative framework of the country and in compliance with the company strategy.

The role undertakes responsibility for compliance with the Regulatory Medical Information and Compliance requirements for the New Product Launch Pipeline and the existing product portfolio in the region, through the successful completion of assigned activities according to the South African and SADC Regulatory plan.

To perform Medical Information and compliance monitoring activities for Aspen in accordance with procedural documents and relevant governing group policies.

To meet the needs of healthcare providers through collaboration with internal customers to ensure delivery of accurate and scientifically balanced medical information and to respond to unsolicited inquiries from regulatory authorities, including clients and managed healthcare organizations in a manner that will help them make a decision regarding therapy for a patient or product selection.

Key Responsibilities Medical Information (MI)

• Providing support within the MIC function in responding to labelled and off-label medical information enquiries for Aspen and contractual partners.
• Providing compliant responses to internal and external customers.
• Creating and maintaining standard responses (SRs) and Objection Handlers (OHs).
• Ensuring that the relevant department/s are informed in a timely manner (at receipt or at least within 24 hours) following the receipt of adverse events or product quality complaints/potential counterfeit medicines. This includes performing a daily check on the dedicated medical information inbox and MAfax inbox.
• Ensuring that Affiliate/Distributor/MIC is adhering to Aspen’s Policy in providing scientific support to internal and external customers.
• Identifying gaps and suggesting ways of process improvement in MIC.
• Ensuring that the reconciliation between the Medical Information and Compliance function and Pharmacovigilance and the Quality department is effective by performing ad hoc reviews on reconciliation files.
• Ensuring that any suggested improvements within the professional information and/or patient information leaflets are communicated to the PV Lead at the point of identification.
• Supporting the line manager in generation of medical information reports showing trends in medical information enquiries received.
• Ensuring telephony system testing documents are completed as per allocation.
• Ensuring compliance to Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) response timelines.
• Ensuring a professional attitude is displayed when responding to a customer’s needs.

Promotional Material, Scientific material review and compliance Monitoring

• Reviewing and approving promotional material relating to the advertising and promotion of medicines and related products for the SA and SADC markets in compliance with applicable legislation, codes of practice and any other applicable regulations/guidelines and corporate requirements.
• Reviewing and approving educational, scientific and other non-promotional material for the SA and SADC markets in compliance with applicable legislation, codes of practice and any other applicable regulations/guidelines and corporate requirements.
• Liaising with marketing divisions regarding advice, queries, and timelines in relation to the above.
• Assisting with the review of information relevant to each product.
• Attending promotional campaign concept presentations at the request of the marketing teams to provide regulatory support and input.
• Ensuring that compliance monitoring is performed on all territories and non-compliances are escalated in a timely manner to the line manager as per Aspen group policies.
• Supporting the line manager in developing and maintaining procedural documents for compliance monitoring.
• Supporting the training department in providing recommendations for improvement and compliance with Aspen group policies following compliance monitoring review.
• Supporting the line manager in generating reports associated with compliance monitoring activities

Printed Packaging/Artwork

• Reviewing and approving concept of new or updated artwork/printed packaging material for medicines and related products for the SA and SADC markets in compliance with applicable legislation and corporate requirements.

Afrikaans Translation of Professional Information (PI) and Patient Information Leaflets (PILs)

• Assisting with the translation and/or validation of Afrikaans PIs (where required) and PILs for both new and existing products.
• Ensuring that translations are undertaken accurately and timeously.

Regulatory Authority Submissions (Including Section 21/36)

• Performing clinical due diligence for new intellectual property as received from the regulatory function.
• Creating Professional Information (PI) and Patient Information Leaflets (PILs) for new IP.
• Creating company core data sheets.
• On-time responses to clinical evaluation recommendations (CERs) and clinical screening enquiries.
• Accurate compilation and filing of the electronic submission documentation.
• Accurate completion of all tasks pertaining to submissions as specified in the relevant procedural documents.
• Maintaining tracking tools to ensure on time submission and reporting.
• Identifying process enhancements.
• Ensuring accurate uploading of the current approved PIs and PILs to the SA Regulatory Portal and submission to SAHPRA for uploading to the PI/PIL Repository (and relevant platforms).
• Managing Section 21 and 36 submissions.

Implementation of risk management plan (RMP) Material

• Ensuring that RMP material is created, maintained and rolled out to market.
• Ensuring that the relevant sales force team is adequately trained, and training records are filed.
• Ensuring that tracking tools are in place to ensure logging of material distribution and reporting to SAHPRA.

Maintenance of the Aspen Medically Critical List

• Initiating and finalising a bi-annual review of the Aspen medically critical list.

Quality Management Systems

• Maintaining procedural documents for the Medical Information and Compliance function as specified in the individual KPAs (as per iden