Online Seminar Provides Training in Good Clinical Practice to Researchers

On 24 to 26 February 2021, the 16th Good Clinical Practice (GCP) seminar was organised by IMU Centre for Lifelong Learning  in which this year marks the sixteenth time that the seminar has been successfully conducted in IMU. Due to the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO), the seminar was delivered virtually via online and was held face to face for the professional examination with strict adherence to the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) set by Majlis Keselamatan Negara (MKN). Since the inception of the Clinical Research Centre (CRC) by Ministry of Health in August 2000, GCP has become an important aspect in the conduct of clinical trials in Malaysia. Physicians, researchers and healthcare providers should be familiar with the principles of GCP to ensure that the clinical trials and research involving human subjects are performed in accordance to global ethical and scientific standards. Hence, the main objective of the GCP seminar was to provide training in GCP to those who are involved or interested in conducting research. We brought experts from different backgrounds to expose the participants to a variety of perspectives on clinical trials. We invited a few speakers from academic institutions, industries, clinical research organisations, as well as government agencies such as National Committee of Clinical Research (NCCR) and Clinical Research Malaysia. Despite giving participants an exposure on what GCP looks like, the seminar also prepared participants to excel in the professional examination in which successful participants would receive their professional certificate. Successful participants who are certified GCP practitioners can conduct their own clinical trials.

Despite the Covid-19 outbreak, the 16th GCP attracted and benefited 43 participants. The committee have decided to have the 17th GCP on 10 to 12 November 2021 and hope it will help in boosting more GCP practitioners and clinical trials to be carried out in Malaysia.