Protecting Patient Safety Through GxP Compliance Training
For organisations operating in regulated pharmaceutical, biotechnology and clinical research environments, staying compliant is about far more than simply meeting regulatory expectations. It is about protecting patients, safeguarding product quality, and maintaining public trust.
At EPiC, that commitment to patient safety sits at the heart of everything we do.
As EPiC enter our fifth year of delivering virtual GMDP compliance symposia, and prepare for our first dedicated GCP Virtual Symposium in 2026, we are reflecting on the vital role that education, engagement and knowledge sharing play in strengthening compliance across the industry.
Like regulators, we recognise that effective compliance is achieved not only through inspections and enforcement, but through collaboration, continuous learning and meaningful dialogue with industry professionals. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has long highlighted the value of symposia in helping stakeholders understand regulatory expectations, discuss emerging challenges and share best practice.
Five Years of Supporting the GMDP Community
Over the past five years, EPiC’s virtual compliance symposia have brought together hundreds of pharmaceutical professionals from across the UK, Europe and beyond.
What began as a response to the growing need for accessible compliance education has evolved into a trusted forum where industry experts, former regulators, Qualified Persons, Responsible Persons and compliance specialists share practical insight on today’s most pressing GxP challenges.
Our virtual format enables delegates to engage directly with recognised experts without the time and financial commitments associated with traditional conferences. More importantly, it allows organisations of all sizes to access high-quality compliance education and stay informed about regulatory developments that may impact their operations.
Each symposium is carefully developed around current industry priorities, inspection trends and emerging regulatory expectations, ensuring delegates leave with actionable knowledge that can be applied immediately within their own organisations.
Introducing Our First Dedicated GCP Symposium
In 2026, we are excited to launch our first dedicated Good Clinical Practice (GCP) Virtual Symposium.
Clinical trials continue to evolve at pace, bringing new opportunities as well as increasingly complex compliance challenges. From decentralised trials and data integrity to risk-based quality management and inspection readiness, clinical research organisations must navigate a rapidly changing regulatory landscape.
Our GCP Symposium has been designed to provide sponsors, CROs, investigators, quality professionals and research teams with practical guidance from experienced industry leaders and former inspectors.
The focus will be on helping organisations understand regulatory expectations, identify common compliance pitfalls and implement practical solutions that ultimately support the safety, rights and wellbeing of trial participants. Because when it comes to clinical research, patient safety must always come first.
Learning From The Experts Who Have Been There
One of the key strengths of EPiC’s symposia is the quality and experience of the experts involved. Our events bring together former MHRA inspectors, experienced GxP consultants, Qualified Persons, Responsible Persons and industry specialists who share practical insight gained through decades of regulatory and compliance work.
EPiC’s Managing Director, Richard Andrews, is a former MHRA Inspectorate Unit Manager with more than 40 years’ experience across Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) and Good Distribution Practice (GDP) environments, both in industry and with the UK medicines regulator. During his time at the MHRA, he held overall responsibility for the GMP and GDP Inspectorates, bringing extensive regulatory insight and practical industry experience to EPiC’s symposia and wider consultancy services.
Richard Andrews Speaking at the MHRA GMDP Symposium 2015 – Image Credit to MHRA
EPiC’s Operations Manager, Michelle Yeomans, is a quality professional with more than 36 years’ experience across GMP, GCP and GDP environments in industry and with the MHRA. During her 17 years at the MHRA, she helped shape national and European GCP inspection procedures, contributed to GMP guidance for investigational medicinal products (IMPs), and held senior oversight roles in the licensing and inspection of pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors in the UK and overseas.
This expertise is strengthened by EPiC’s wider consortium of former regulatory inspectors, eligible Qualified Persons, specialist consultants, auditors and expert speakers. Many have held senior regulatory roles, conducted audits worldwide and hold IRCA-approved Pharmaceutical Lead Auditor certification.
Together, they give EPiC’s clients and event delegates access to practical, current guidance grounded in real-world regulatory experience. Delegates learn what inspectors look for, how common findings arise and how to apply proven strategies for building sustainable quality systems.
Supporting The Pharmaceutical Industry Beyond the Symposium
While our symposia are an important part of our commitment to educating and engaging the industry, they represent just one aspect of EPiC’s broader mission.
Our vision is simple: to help organisations protect patient safety through access to the very best regulatory and compliance expertise.
Through our extensive network of consultants, we support pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and clinical research organisations with:
Preparing organisations for regulatory scrutiny by identifying potential issues before inspectors do.
Independent assessments designed to evaluate compliance, strengthen quality systems and support continuous improvement.
Helping businesses identify compliance gaps and develop pragmatic action plans to address them.
Delivering expert-led learning programmes that develop competence, confidence and compliance capability.
Supporting organisations through complex remediation projects following inspections, audits or compliance concerns.
Providing practical, strategic guidance tailored to each organisation’s unique regulatory challenges.
Giving organisations access to experienced Qualified Persons, Responsible Persons and Responsible Persons for Import services to ensure robust oversight and regulatory compliance.
Looking Ahead
The regulatory landscape will continue to evolve, bringing new expectations, new technologies and new challenges. Success will depend on organisations remaining informed, adaptable and committed to continuous improvement.
That is why EPiC remains dedicated to creating opportunities for the industry to learn, engage and collaborate.
As we celebrate five years of delivering GMDP virtual compliance events and prepare for the launch of our inaugural GCP Symposium, we look forward to continuing our role in supporting the pharmaceutical and clinical research community. Because every improvement in compliance, every lesson shared, and every quality system strengthened contributes to a common goal: protecting patients and improving public health.