The Pharmaceutical Industry has been undergoing a major transformation since the heady days of 'big pharma' in the 1970s and 80s. Patent expiry, the rise of generics, and the decline of the blockbuster drug have all changed the landscape over the last 10-15 years. It's an environment where products can take 10 years or more to come to market, billions are spent on research and development, jobs are being shed in the western pharma homelands and regulators and the public are more demanding than ever. So what part is Knowledge Management playing and going to play in this vital international industry? Knowledge Management (KM) has many facets from providing comprehensive knowledge bases for workers, through the sharing of advice and problem solving, to providing an environment for innovation and change. This book, focusing on research and development, and manufacturing-based companies, explores how a range of techniques and approaches have been applied in the unique environment of the Pharmaceutical Industry, and examine how it can help the industry in the 21st century. Whilst the book is centered on the Pharmaceutical Industry, its objective will be to discuss and demonstrate how Knowledge Management can be applied in a variety of environments, and with a range of cultural issues. KM practitioners, and potential practitioners, both within and outside the Pharmaceutical Industry, will be able to gain valuable guidance and advice from both the examples of good practice and the lessons learned by the authors and contributors.

This book addresses the rapidly emerging field of Knowledge Management in the pharmaceutical, medical devices and medical diagnostics industries. In particular, it explores the role that Knowledge Management can play in ensuring the delivery of safe and effective products to patients. The book also provides good practice examples of how the effective use of an organisation’s knowledge assets can provide a path towards business excellence.

This book addresses the rapidly emerging field of Knowledge Management in the pharmaceutical, medical devices and medical diagnostics industries. In particular, it explores the role that Knowledge Management can play in ensuring the delivery of safe and effective products to patients. The book also provides good practice examples of how the effective use of an organisation’s knowledge assets can provide a path towards business excellence.

Knowledge management continues to play an important role in management practice, in private and public organisations, in community informatics and in other groups. Once thought of as a fad it is now clear that knowledge management is an important issue which all organisations face and will continue to face for the foreseeable future. As a result the teaching of knowledge management and the research into its development as a field of study is of considerable importance to business schools, professional organisations, public sector bodies as well as to educators. Case studies can provide a contextual perspective on real world experiences in KM. This book contains 11 case studies chosen by Professor Kenneth Grant and it illustrates many of the important issues of which both students and practitioners need to be aware. These case studies should also prove useful as teaching examples. The case studies provided in this book cover subjects such as KM effectiveness gap analysis, the elicitation of intellectual capital performance, the reconfiguration of knowledge management practices and international strategic alliances. Private sector cases include examples from the pharmaceutical industry, manufacturing and consulting, while the public sector cases include the creation of a judicial environment, patient centred treatment in a general hospital and KM in the French Air Force fighter squadrons. The contributors to this book come from Australia, Canada, China, France, Italy, India, Malaysia, Spain, The Netherlands and The Untied Kingdom.

A practical guide to Quality by Design for pharmaceutical product development Pharmaceutical Quality by Design: A Practical Approach outlines a new and proven approach to pharmaceutical product development which is now being rolled out across the pharmaceutical industry internationally. Written by experts in the field, the text explores the QbD approach to product development. This innovative approach is based on the application of product and process understanding underpinned by a systematic methodology which can enable pharmaceutical companies to ensure that quality is built into the product. Familiarity with Quality by Design is essential for scientists working in the pharmaceutical industry. The authors take a practical approach and put the focus on the industrial aspects of the new QbD approach to pharmaceutical product development and manufacturing. The text covers quality risk management tools and analysis, applications of QbD to analytical methods, regulatory aspects, quality systems and knowledge management. In addition, the book explores the development and manufacture of drug substance and product, design of experiments, the role of excipients, multivariate analysis, and include several examples of applications of QbD in actual practice. This important resource: Covers the essential information about Quality by Design (QbD) that is at the heart of modern pharmaceutical development Puts the focus on the industrial aspects of the new QbD approach Includes several illustrative examples of applications of QbD in practice Offers advanced specialist topics that can be systematically applied to industry Pharmaceutical Quality by Design offers a guide to the principles and application of Quality by Design (QbD), the holistic approach to manufacturing that offers a complete understanding of the manufacturing processes involved, in order to yield consistent and high quality products.

Creating Knowledge Based Healthcare Organizations brings together high quality concepts closely related to how knowledge management can be utilized in healthcare. It includes the methodologies, systems, and approaches needed to create and manage knowledge in various types of healthcare organizations. Furthermore, it has a global flavor, as we discuss knowledge management approaches in healthcare organizations throughout the world. For the first time, many of the concepts, tools, and techniques relevant to knowledge management in healthcare are available, offereing the reader an understanding of all the components required to utilize knowledge.