3-Hour Virtual Seminar on 21 CFR Part 11 Guidance for Electronic Records and Electronic Signatures in FDA-Regulated Industries

The Webinar will focus on the importance of ensuring that electronic record/electronic signature (ER/ES) capability built into FDA-regulated computer systems meets compliance with 21 CFR Part 11. This includes development of a company philosophy and approach, and incorporating it into the overall computer system validation program and plans for individual systems that have this capability.

FDA’s 21 CFR Part 11 was enacted in the late 1990s and implementation success across the pharmaceutical and other regulated industries has been mixed. There are very specific limitations that arise when using ER/ES capability, such as the elimination of print capability to prevent users from making decisions based on a paper record as opposed to the electronic record. It also requires very specific identification of users that ensures the person signing the record is the same person whose credentials are being entered and verified by the system. Rule for changing passwords must be rigorously adhered to and the passwords must be kept secure.

It is also critical that the system specify the exact meaning of the signature. It may be that the person conducted the work, recorded the result, reviewed the result, or approved the result. A person may simply be attesting to the fact that they reviewed the work and the signatures, and there was appropriate segregation of duties (i.e., the person recording the result is not the same as either the person reviewing or the person giving final approval).

Why You Should Attend:

This webinar will help you understand in detail the application of FDA’s 21 CFR Part 11 guidance on electronic records/electronic signatures (ER/ES) for computer systems subject to FDA regulations. This is critical in order to develop the appropriate validation strategy and achieve the thoroughness required to prove that a system does what it purports to do. It also ensures that a system is maintained in a validated state throughout its entire life cycle, from conception through retirement. ER/ES capability can vary, and the approach should be based on the specific case and the risk of failing to meet the guidance associated with it. 

Seminar Agenda:

Session 1:

• FDA Regulatory Oversight
• Computer System Validation (CSV)
• System Development Life Cycle (SDLC) Methodology
• Good “Variable”Practice (GxP) (Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), Good Laboratory Practice (GLP), Good Clinical Practice (GCP))

Session 2:

• Validation Strategy
• System Risk Assessment
• GAMP 5 “V”Model
• 21 CFR Part 11
• Electronic Records/Electronic Signatures (ER/ES)
• Security, Access, Change Control and Audit Trail

Session 3:

• Validation Documentation
• 7 Most Common Problems with Validation
• FDA Audit Preparation
• Policies and Procedures
• Training and Organizational Change Management
• Industry Best Practices and Common Pitfalls

Who Should Attend:

• Information Technology Analysts
• Information Technology Managers
• QC/QA Managers
• QC/QA Analysts
• Clinical Data Managers
• Clinical Data Scientists
• Analytical Chemists
• Compliance Managers
• Laboratory Managers
• Automation Analysts
• Manufacturing Managers
• Manufacturing Supervisors
• Supply Chain Specialists
• Computer System Validation Specialists
• GMP Training Specialists
• Business Stakeholders responsible for computer system validation planning, execution, reporting, compliance, maintenance and audit
• Consultants working in the life sciences industry who are involved in computer system implementation, validation and compliance
• Auditors Engaged in Internal Inspection

Course Director: Carolyn Troiano 

Carolyn Troiano has more than 30 years of experience in computer system validation in the pharmaceutical, medical device, animal health, tobacco and other FDA-regulated industries. She is currently an independent consultant, advising companies on computer system validation and large-scale IT system implementation projects. During her career, Carolyn worked directly, or on a consulting basis, for many of the larger pharmaceutical companies in the US and Europe. She developed validation programs and strategies back in the mid-1980s, when the first FDA guidebook was published on the subject, and collaborated with FDA and other industry representatives on 21 CFR Part 11, the FDA’s electronic record/electronic signature regulation. Carolyn has participated in industry conferences. She is currently active in the PMI, AITP, and RichTech, and volunteers for the PMI’s Educational Fund as a project management instructor for non-profit organizations.