EX MHRA GMDP INSPECTOR IAN REES JOINS THE EPIC TEAM

pharmaceutical compliance

EPiC Auditors are thrilled to announce that Ian Rees, a renowned pharmaceutical compliance expert and former Expert MHRA GMDP Inspector, has joined our team as an independent consultant.

With an impressive career spanning over 40 years, twenty of which were with the MHRA, Ian brings a wealth of invaluable experience to our organisation. 

During his time at the MHRA, in addition to being a GMDP Inspector Ian was the Unit Manager for the Inspectorate Strategy and Innovation team, represented the Agency on the European Medicines Agency’s (EMA) GMDP Inspectors Working Group, was chair of the EMA/HMA’s Joint Audit Program (JAP) and was the MHRA representative at EU Blood Authority Meetings which regulates blood used for transfusion. 

In 2013 Ian helped to establish the MHRA’s Innovation Office and in 2014 the UK cross regulatory ‘One Stop Shop’ which provides regulatory advice and guidance to organisations developing innovative products or novel manufacturing processes.  

Prior to leaving the MHRA Ian became an assessor in the newly created Science Research and Innovation Group which incorporated the Innovation Office and was the MHRA’s representative at the Innovation Accelerator, a UK cross-industry regulatory group established to support innovations. He also led MHRA’s work in developing a new regulatory framework for distributed and point of care manufacture. 

A Vet by training Ian also has a background in veterinary medicines and was a GMP inspector at the UK’s Veterinary Medicines Directorate where he was also involved official batch release, scheduling of inspections and assessment of dossiers of immunological veterinary medicinal products. 

With his extensive expertise, Ian brings a comprehensive understanding of national and international regulatory processes, ATMPs, biologicals, and biotechnology manufacturing systems, as well as Quality Management System requirements. 

We are privileged to have Ian Rees join the EPiC team, enhancing our capabilities and expanding our consultancy services to support innovation. His exceptional track record and knowledge of the complex regulatory landscape will undoubtedly be of benefit to our clients

Richard Andrew, EPiC Managing Director & Senior Consultant  

To read the bio and full CV for Ian Rees and our other experts’ visit Meet Our Experts  

Pharmaceutical Industry Experts  

At EPiC Auditors, our expertise lies in providing comprehensive pharmaceutical compliance auditing services, regulatory compliance guidance, and expert insights to pharmaceutical companies. As a leading auditing and GxP quality assurance consultancy firm, we specialise in ensuring that the highest quality standards are achieved and maintained within the pharmaceutical industry. Our seasoned team of former Regulatory Agency professionals are committed to our mission of ensuring the safety, efficacy, and quality of pharmaceutical products, ultimately contributing to the well-being of patients worldwide. 

If you need our help and support then please contact us on +44 (0)1244 980544 or e mail us at  

Making Pharmaceuticals Conference

Serious about Making Pharmaceuticals?

Our Directors Richard Andrews and Darren Jones will be joining GMP Healthcare Ltd on stand 220 at this year’s Making Pharmaceuticals Conference in Coventry on the 25th – 26th April 2023.

As the largest Pharmaceutical Event in the UK, it covers everything from Processing, Medical Devices, Regulatory, Clinical Testing, Research & Development, Operational Excellence, Pharmaceutical Quality, Serialisation, Clinical Trial Testing, Ingredients / Excipients, Microbiology, Pharmaceutical Engineering, Packaging & Labelling, New Technologies & Data Management.

We will be on hand to discuss any challenges you are facing and offering our expertise to help pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, as well as other associated healthcare clients, to achieve and maintain regulatory compliance and excellent pharmaceutical quality systems, to best industry standards.

Registrations are open for your complimentary Exhibition & Conference passes. It will be great to catch up with clients and colleagues old and new. If you are attending, please come along and say hello at the Making Pharmaceuticals Conference!

Making Pharmaceuticals Conference

WE SPECIALISE in helping pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, as well as other associated healthcare clients, to achieve and maintain regulatory compliance and excellent pharmaceutical quality systems, to best industry standards. As ex MHRA inspectors, we know how the Regulators work and think. No consultants know how the MHRA operates better than we do.  We specialise in mock inspections; GXP audits, supply chain and system audits. We work with large organisations but also have a particular interest in supporting new and expanding small companies including wholesalers; contract laboratories and clinical development laboratories.

EPiC’s Autumn Compliance Seminar

Registrations are now open for EPiC’s Autumn Compliance Seminar:

Thursday 10th November 2022

compliant future

Shaping a Pharma Compliant Future

After the success of our GMP Symposium in February, EPiC Auditors are pleased to announce that we will be delivering a virtual compliance seminar on Thursday 10th November 2022.

The theme is Shaping a Pharma Compliant Future – How to achieve and demonstrate sustainable compliance.

This online seminar will be a full day delivered remotely comprising a variety of ex MHRA Inspector speakers with an invited guest MHRA GMDP Inspectorate speaker. Altogether it will be a thought-provoking and informative day!

The outline agenda includes;

  • Recent Updates to Guidelines and Regulations
  • Assessing and Demonstrating Compliance
  • Tools to maintain compliance
  • Current and future Annex 1 deficiencies
  • The IMP/GCP interface
  • Future-proofing compliance
  • Considerations when moving from R&D to GMP
  • GDP controls and expectations for importation

**Re-visit our website here to see the full the details and agenda as it develops**

You can now buy your EPiC Autumn Compliance seminar tickets for £250 + VAT

Click on the button below to register and pay online:


In collaboration with SeerPharma UK

pharma compliant future

You may also be interested in the SeerPharma UK GDP Symposium taking place on Tuesday 8th November 2022: Register and Pay Online Here

MICHELLE YEOMANS TO JOIN EPIC AUDITORS IN APRIL

Another ex MHRA Inspector Joins the EPiC Team

EPIC Auditors is very pleased to announce that Ex MHRA Inspector Michelle Yeomans will be joining us on 7th April to fulfil the role of EPIC Auditors Operations Manager. 

Ex MHRA

EPIC Auditors was established in 2014 by Liz Allanson and Darren Jones (both ex MHRA) to fulfil the increasing need for ex MHRA Inspectors to conduct mock regulatory inspections and to provide consultancy advice from the Regulatory perspective. The company has developed considerably over the last 8 years and Michelle has been appointed to further strengthen the management team and assist with the day to day operation of the business.

Michelle is well known to the pharmaceutical industry having been in the MHRA GMP/GDP management team for many years and been a familiar face at many MHRA GMP/GDP and GCP Symposia.  Michelle has completed 17 years in the MHRA starting as a GCP Inspector, progressing to Senior Inspector and gaining accreditation for GMP inspections of manufacturers of clinical trials, before moving to become a GMDP Operations Manager and ultimately the GMDP Inspectorate Unit Manager.

Michelle brings to EPiC not only the considerable length of service in the MHRA, at both Senior Inspector and senior management level, but also excellent organisational skills, and 19 years previous experience working and auditing in the pharmaceutical industry.  Michelle held positions in Technical and QA roles with various pharmaceutical companies and operated as an IMP Transitional QP prior to joining the MHRA.

Over the years Michelle has engaged extensively with the industry and we are sure this will continue as she works with our clients to help them to improve their GXP quality systems and regulatory compliance.

We are really excited about Michelle joining our team, and acknowledge the skills that she will bring to improving our own quality systems as well as those of our clients.

You can read more about Michelle’s background and qualifications as well as meet the rest of the EPiC Auditors Team here: Meet The Team

If you need our help and support then please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Telephone: +44 (0)1244 980544 or email us at 

EX MHRA INSPECTORS STEPHEN GRAYSON JOINS THE EPIC TEAM

EPIC Auditors are delighted to announce that ex MHRA Inspector Stephen Grayson has joined the team as an independent consultant.

Stephen has over 39 year’s pharmaceutical industry experience in manufacture, packaging, auditing and inspection, fourteen spent working for the MHRA, where he held the post of Senior GMDP Inspector. He is widely known across the industry and has extensive experience of GMP inspections, having completed more than 500 in the UK and over 300 in third countries.

Stephen was trained and accredited by the MHRA to inspect:

• Collection, processing, testing and distribution of blood and blood components
• Sterile and non-Sterile manufacturing sites (all dosage forms).
• NHS and commercial “Specials” manufacture, including sterile product.
• Sterilisation processes including irradiation, ethylene oxide, moist heat and dry heat.
• Sterile API manufacture.
• Wholesale dealers (storage and distribution).

With his comprehensive portfolio of pharma compliance experience, Stephen is an excellent addition to the EPIC team. We are confident we can provide you with GXP support across the medicinal product lifecycle and help all our clients improve their GXP quality systems and regulatory compliance.

ex MHRA
Stephen Grayson ex MHRA Inspector

Pharmaceutical Industry Experts

Auditors used by EPIC are former Regulatory Inspectors, typically ex MHRA Inspectors. All auditors have extensive industry experience and many years of experience auditing and inspecting within the pharmaceutical industry.

To read the bio and full CV for Stephen and our other experts’ visit Meet Our Experts