DBA - Pharmaceutical Training, Consultancy and Auditing Experts

Since its foundation in 1986, David Begg Associates (DBA) has risen to become Europe's largest provider of pharmaceutical training. We have an outstanding international reputation not only for our training but also in the fields of pharmaceutical quality management and regulatory compliance.

Our services are the first choice of major multinationals and small start-up ventures on every continent, and all are given with one aim in mind: to train your pharmaceutical staff to the highest standards and offer the best possible advice to contribute to your company's success.

Pharmaceutical training

DBA offers a comprehensive range of courses to meet your needs, from Qualified Person (QP) training and our new Quality Leadership Program in the US, to residential and in-house pharmaceutical training.

Pharmaceutical QP training

We offer training to aspiring Qualified Persons in collaboration with the University of Strathclyde, and are generally regarded as the best providers of QP training by pharmaceutical companies, large and small, globally.

Our course is recognised by regulatory authorities both within the UK and abroad, including Ireland, the Netherlands, Austria, Hungary, Malta and more.

Our approach benefits both company and student, offering:

• Residential courses with face-to-face training
• Strong, practical industrial focus
• Flexibility to meet individual needs
• Individual advice and support to students
• An unsurpassed success rate - over 95% of our students are successful at the QP assessment interview

The QP course consists of a series of 12 modules spanning 21 months. The course is repeated on a two-yearly cycle but students can join and leave at any time. Those not intending to gain the postgraduate diploma or MSc can attend as many or as few of the modules as they wish. Courses are currently available in both the UK and US.

Quality Leadership Program

From October 2009, we will be offering a series of modular training services to quality professionals in the US and the rest of North America. Based on our highly successful QP training, delegates enrolling for the Quality Leadership Program will be able to register for a postgraduate diploma or Master's degree in pharmaceutical quality management and GMP.

Residential / off-site pharmaceutical training

Our training is used by the pharmaceutical industry worldwide to comply with regulatory expectations and maximise the contribution of staff at all levels.

Delegates leave our external courses:

• Better informed about the subject area
• More aware of their role and impact upon product quality and/or regulatory compliance
• Better motivated to improve their contribution

All our courses are designed to be informative, participative, relevant and, above all, enjoyable.

In-house pharmaceutical training

In-house pharmaceutical training represents the major part of our activities. We perform, on average, two in-house courses every week. While some of these courses are repetitions of our residential training courses or are based upon them, the majority of our in-house training courses are specifically designed to meet your precise needs.

In-house training courses can vary in duration from half a day up to five days. The optimum attendance is 12 to 25 delegates, although more or fewer can be accommodated. Our in-house training gives your workforce exactly the course they need when and where you want it. Our in-house training courses cover a wide range of pharmaceutical subjects.

Pharmaceutical consultancy

Staying at the leading edge of pharmaceutical training means that we keep abreast of every major industry issue. You can put that knowledge to good use by taking our advice on a broad range of regulatory and technical matters, including:

• Implementation of cost-effective, compliant quality management systems
• Advice on legal and regulatory issues
• Assistance with responses to regulatory inspection reports, warning letters, etc.
• Troubleshooting on a wide range of technical problems
• Advice on facility design, validation and operation
• Review of validation plans and completed studies
• Regulatory compliance for computers and automated control systems
• Specialist microbiological advice
• Specialist advice on water systems and autoclaving

Pharmaceutical auditing

We can audit any type of activity against all the major international regulatory and GMP standards, including those of the EU, the US, Canada, Australia, the WHO and more.

Thanks to our experience we are able to provide simple and pragmatic advice that will benefit you, your patients and your business. The types of audits we can perform include:

• Third-party audits
• Benchmarking audits
• Mock regulatory audits
• EU and FDA inspection readiness
• Troubleshooting and problem solving
• Due diligence audits