EXCPE 6252 - Introduction to the Canadian Pharmaceutical Industry

Welcome to the Introduction to the Canadian Pharmaceutical Industry micro-course. We are excited to have you here and be part of your journey as you explore the Canadian pharmaceutical landscape. The purpose of this course is to introduce you to the core concepts of the industry and establish a strong educational foundation - one that will support your continued learning in this field.

Explore the Canadian pharmaceutical industry in this flexible, online course. Learn how drugs are developed, approved, marketed, and distributed in Canada. Gain foundational knowledge in regulatory bodies, pricing and reimbursement, pharmacovigilance, and emerging trends like digital health and biotech. Designed for professionals and learners from clinical, business, or international backgrounds seeking to enter or better understand the pharma industry.

The learners for these courses fall into the following categories:

• 🗸Pharmaceutical industry leaders
• 🗸Pharmacists & Pharmacy Associations
• 🗸Health professionals
• 🗸Post-secondary students

By the end of this course, you should be able to:

• 🗸 Describe the structure of the Canadian healthcare system and pharmaceutical industry, and identify key stakeholders involved.
• 🗸 Describe the drug development process from preclinical testing to approval, differentiate post-market surveillance from pharmacovigilance, and summarize Health Canada’s Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP).
• 🗸 List and describe key marketing strategies and regulatory bodies, and explain the structure of pharmaceutical distribution channels and supply chain.
• 🗸 Define market access and identify the main factors affecting prescription drug pricing and reimbursement.
• 🗸 Identify emerging trends in the pharmaceutical industry and analyze their associated challenges and risks

This course will take approximately 7-8 hours to complete.

This course is a partnership between the University of Alberta Online Learning & Continuing Education (OCE) and PharAhead™ to collaboratively develop and deliver a high-impact, on-demand micro-course for the pharmaceutical industry.

Course Structure and Successful Completion:

This course consists of five modules that cover the following topics:

• 🗸Module 1: Overview of Canada's Healthcare and Pharma System
• 🗸Module 2: Core Activities in the Pharmaceutical Industry
• 🗸Module 3: Marketing and Distribution
• 🗸Module 4: Market Access and Reimbursement
• 🗸Module 5: Future Trends and Innovations

This course is structured into five modules, each containing two to three lessons. Throughout the lessons, you will engage with content, reflection questions, quizzes, additional reading materials, and learning activities. At the conclusion of the course, you will take a quiz to assess your understanding of the content presented in the five modules.

Thank you for choosing us to guide you on your educational journey. We look forward to seeing you progress through the course. See you in Module 1!

To successfully complete the course, you must:

• 🗸Review all content in the five modules.
• 🗸Achieve a score of 70% or higher on the final quiz, with unlimited attempts available.

Upon meeting these requirements, you will earn a digital badge to acknowledge your achievement.