Naturally, having accurate, accessible, secure data is fundamental to a successful AI initiative, thus providing additional topics addressed in this program.  The Digital Pharmaceutical Certificate focuses on the use of IT to enhance the strategic, tactical, and operational elements across the entire pharmaceutical industry Value Chain:

The courses are designed for IT and non-IT professionals in the pharmaceutical/life sciences industry whose roles involve leveraging digital pharmaceutical industry opportunities to provide demonstrable value from their IT investments, in light of the digital transformation and emerging information technologies (e.g., AI, blockchain, social media, analytics, big data), while addressing important considerations like providing a secure infrastructure and hybrid work environment. Lessons learned regarding the impact of IT on the coronavirus pandemic are included in the program. 

The Pharmaceutical IT Certificate focuses on the use of IT to enhance the functional elements of the pharma value chain from drug discovery through commercialization and includes critical supporting functions, such as supply chain logistics and regulatory and compliance. The program is designed to help participants understand how to leverage IT in pharma organizations by providing the necessary skills to become a vital resource to their firm and industry while enhancing their immediate and long term professional development.

Select at least 4 courses from the following:

(All courses are available live/synchronously face-to-face & online)

1. Pharmaceutical Industry Trends and Issues

The course will provide an overall look at IT in the pharmaceutical industry, its structure, and trends and issues which have driven it, are affecting it now, and are likely to change it in the future. This course will focus on the business forces shaping the pharmaceutical industry. In addition, this course will use management research on the integration of IT with the business. Candidates will learn how to evaluate important business trends and how IT can be used to support business success. Topics include a pharmaceutical industry overview, regulatory compliance, insurance, new drug development, manufacturing and logistics, product marketing, the role of IT in the pharmaceutical industry, company strategies, e-pharma, and 21st century pharmaceutical-market future trends. This course focuses on how the digital transformation enables innovation, especially by leveraging emerging technologies to empower customers/clients, along with the ever changing regulatory considerations. Important topics include

• Evolution of Pharma Information Systems
  
• New IT Service Provider Roles
  
• Pharma IT Development Methodology and Portfolio Management Trends
  
• New Pharma Systems as Enablers of Patient-Centered Care
  
• Emerging technologies and their impact on Pharma; e.g., blockchain, AI, Robotics
  
• Roles and responsibilities of IT and non-IT stakeholders in leveraging emerging technologies and systems

2. Pharmaceutical Industry New Drug Development

This course is designed to provide the student with an in-depth understanding of the pharmaceutical research and development process and the role of Information Technology (IT) in this process, with the goal of helping the student to be an effective provider of information system development and operations in this arena. The various phases of the process will be described in detail, including key regulatory imperatives and the role of project management. The current contributions of IT to each phase will be reviewed; the global perspectives on international harmonization and worldwide submissions will be discussed; the economics of IT in drug R&D will be highlighted; illustrative case studies will be presented; and a view of the future of IT in R&D will be put forth. Topics include organizational models in R&D and IT, a comprehensive view of the main components of the R&D process, current contributions of IT to each of the main components of the R&D process, the global perspective, and the economics of IT in drug development.

3. Pharmaceutical Industry Supply Chain

The issues surrounding supply chain design, planning, and execution for the pharmaceutical and biotech industries from drug discovery to delivery is the focus. This course will use research on information systems, optimization, e-business, and decision-support technologies and lessons learned from their effective use in global Supply Chain Management (SCM) for manufacturing and distribution in the process industries. The student will learn how to evaluate global Supply Chain issues from the perspectives of various stakeholders in relationship to overall organization and societal goals. They will further understand the different mechanisms for collaboration and create a process for establishing and maintaining an effective global SCM solution architecture.

4. Pharmaceutical Marketing and Sales

This course focuses on the organizational, management, and technology issues and considerations related to the sales and marketing function of the pharmaceutical industry as one of its principal boundary-spanning functions. This course will use extensive research and current literature on pharmaceutical sales and marketing business approaches and information technologies that drive or support sales and marketing plans as well as information and knowledge management considerations that drive competitive distinctiveness. This course will also explore the real and potential information and knowledge linkages between the sales and marketing function and the discovery, product development and supply chain functions of the pharmaceutical industry. Topics include:

• Competing in the Pharmaceutical Marketplace
• Sales and Marketing Roles
• Changing Sales Models (managed care, PBMs, etc.)
• The Role of Technology in Sales and Marketing
• Supply Chain Basics
• The Pharmaceutical Supply Chain

5. IT Applications for Pharmaceutical/Bio Tech

This course examines key IT applications for the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device industries. Given today’s increasing dependence on IT, the course provides essential knowledge for all current and future managers in the industry. Topics include:

• Introduction to the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device industry and the IT role
  
• Overview of IT-Business Strategic Planning and IT investment decision-making
• In-depth coverage of IT applications by function: research & development, marketing and sales, manufacturing & logistics
• Importance of information as key components of industry operations
• Today’s sourcing options

6. Patient-Centric Medicine

Advances in health technologies and data management are facilitating new diagnostic and treatment options. Providers can now leverage vast amounts of patient data gathered from a variety of sources to determine the clinical value of specific treatments and how to make them better. Payers, providers and pharmacy retailers alike are realizing that new business models are possible which are attractive to consumers/patients, employers/employees and fulfill the incentives of government motivators. Remote patient monitoring, point of care diagnostics and telemedicine allow for patient’s to receive feedback on their own health trends, while providing daily status feeds of key biometrics to centralized clinical centers.

Topics include Medication and Therapeutic Regimen Adherence, mHealth and Telehealth Concepts, Employee Wellness Programs, Gamification Techniques, Patient-Centered Medicine and Pharmaceutical Brands, Patient-Centered Medicine in Clinical Trials, Patient-Centered Medicine for Payers and Providers, and Patient-Centered Medicine Technology Architecture.

As Pharma organizations accelerate the digital transformation of their industry, they are focusing their investments in leveraging information technology to improve customer/client products/services while lowering overall costs. In today’s highly regulated, increasingly resource-constrained, and cost-focused environment it is essential to understand how to effectively and efficiently manage an organization’s information technology (IT) resources. There are numerous strategic, tactical, and operational choices to be made about managing Pharma IT resources and it is essential to ensure that IT and non-IT executives across the organization work in harmony.

Experience has made it clear that Pharma organizations need well-conceived organizational structures, skills, processes, and decision rights to ensure that IT investments are appropriately leveraged across the organization, especially when considering the impact of emerging information technologies. 

This course prepares Pharma executives by providing a comprehensive understanding of the fundamental decisions related to the management of IT resources in the Pharma environment. The course will also provide an overview of current and future information technologies and their potential impact on customers/clients, organizations, and associated stakeholders.

The course is designed to be delivered live/synchronously (face-to-face or online) with a total of twenty (20) contact hours. While the schedule is flexible, it is usually delivered in approximately ten (10) 2-hour modules/lectures/sessions.

The IT-Pharma topics include:

• Deriving IT-business strategies
• Considerations for types of
• organizational structure
• sourcing
• governance (i.e., decision-making and decision rights)
• roles/responsibilities
• processes
• Leverage emerging digital technologies; especially AI, blockchain, and security
• The business value of IT
• The definition, concepts, and contexts of Pharma IT
• Enhancing business-IT alignment