What do I do??
In my circle of friends I feel like I am the “Chandler Bing” and it’s not because I am the funny one; no, it’s because no one knows or understands what I do for a living.
My mother still believes I work in a laboratory and have a working knowledge of all medicines and once even asked me, while holding a single white tablet in the palm of her hand what the tablet was for.
To be honest my description of my job has changed over the years from “you know those leaflets you get with your medicines? I help write them… do you read them? No! oh?” to “I get and control medicinal product licences in Europe”.
Sounds simple right? Unfortunately no, when I first started, the future was all “harmonisation and no more paper copies” and though it has come a long way, there are certain things that make you yell “ARE YOU SERIOUS” on a weekly basis (my colleagues have learn to ignore these outbursts). These outbursts got me thinking: what would my wish list be to make my life just that little bit easier?
Wish List
- All Member States should invoice registration fees. It’s one thing finding the fee page of Competent Authority website, it’s another thing calculating the fee (did you remember the administration fee?), to understanding how to pay. I have a flow chart for one Member State!
- Fully electronic, no more original, wet signature, company stamped, revenue stamped, dated and notarised, less than 6 month old paper copies (I think you know who I am getting at).
- One method of submission, i.e. no national portals, CD/DVD, paper, parallel submissions (if France can improve so can every Member state).
- Marketing Department: please make up your mind! A week before submission and you decide you want extra Member States added/deleted to the upcoming DCP… at least give me two weeks!
- Finance Department: No, I can’t shop around for a better price for a national variation.
Please let me know if you have any wishes to improve your work life and maybe Ivowen can help you (or least sympathise with your struggle).
Written by Fiona Downey
