Dear Pharma Pals,

We all have different ways in which we learn. Some people are strong visual learners, others are very hands-on learners. Few find listening to a lecture alone to be an effective way to learn, says Dr. George Bernstein in the exclusive in this issue on training effectiveness.

If you just hear something, you tend to forget it (I hear I forget). If you see something, you may remember it (I see I remember). But if you do something, you will surely understand it (I do I understand). This is how Dr. Bernstein summarizes the effectiveness of training.

Competencies taught through on-the-job training are typically broken down into discrete steps that the trainer can demonstrate under observation by the trainee, then demonstrated under the watchful eye of the trainer, then performed by the trainee alone, and evaluated by the trainer.

Trainers should encourage trainees to “ask why?” to foster a deeper understanding of procedures, practices, and methods. This will provide both a learning opportunity and continuous improvement, says Dr. Bernstein. Read on to know the effective training methods for pharmaceutical industry.

Also read in the issue Dr. Tim Sandle’s second take on hygienic design – the key hygienic design features of vessels and pipes. And don’t miss out on Natoli’s first of its kind initiative to bridge the industry-academia gap at Bombay College of Pharmacy. The article by Bhavesh Agarwal on why plasma protein therapies are a niche industry in India is also for an interesting read.

Harjit Singh Dhaul
Publisher & Editor