Working Life: Sam Knivett
pharmafile | January 23, 2009 | Feature | Business Services, Research and Development | Pfizer, UK, WL, Working Life, careers, compliance, drug safety
How did you find your way into your current role?
From the age of 11 I wanted to be a farmer. I did a degree in agriculture and emerged from university to an industry depressed following Edwina Curry’s comments and in the grips of BSE. So I decided to go to work for the Ministry of Agriculture instead.
After several years in the laboratory I moved within the Civil Service and my pharmacovigilance career began in the Suspected Adverse Reaction Surveillance Scheme (SARSS) at the Veterinary Medicines Directorate. After several years, on occasions working closely with Pfizer Animal Health, it seemed but a short hop from a veterinary regulator to the human industry.
How is your field changing?
The pharmaceutical industry is becoming more focused on compliance, and more aware of the importance of safety. This is true across the functions, including people who previously never knew what it was, let alone knew that it affected them. It has became much more of a corporate responsibility rather than something for just the drug safety unit to worry about. In pharmacovigilance in particular, the depth and detail of a regulatory inspection is increasing. Rather than an overview to ensure procedures are in place and appropriate awareness of responsibilities across the board, a few areas are selected and the burden of proof has increased.
What are the most enjoyable things about your role?
The people and the challenge. We have to produce quality work to extremely tight deadlines, it’s vital to the business that we do that, and the only way to do that is as a team. I love the camaraderie, facing the challenge together, as well as the kindness and support I see in the team.
And the least enjoyable?
I’ve had a few early mornings recently – and I really don’t enjoy getting up at 3.30 am.
What are the most common misconceptions about your field?
That we are anti-sales and that detailed people can’t relax!
Who in your field has inspired you?
If I am allowed, there are in fact two, and I have been extremely lucky that both were bosses of mine.
Firstly, Alastair Gray, for his collaborative approach as a regulator with industry, which was against the current thinking at the time and still is in many areas. Secondly, Brenda Green, for her uncanny ability to ‘read’, understand and motivate people, and her belief in individuals which inspires them to greater things than they alone thought they could ever achieve.
And outside your field?
Anita Roddick, a business women with principles and ethics, and ahead of her time.
What is the secret to a happy working life?
A passion, or challenge, outside of work that forces you to get a bit of work-life balance and perspective – even if it is only one or two nights a week.
Also, never wait too long to do something, regretting not doing something can make you a bitter person, whereas regretting something you’ve done can often make you a better person. My father-in-law planned everything for his retirement, learning to paint, a world cruise, enjoying his savings, and motor neurone disease took away those opportunities for him in the year before his planned retirement. He regretted it and my mother-in-law regrets it too.
If you had advice for anyone starting out in your field now, what would it be?
Don’t forget, in all the detail of what you do, to focus on the bigger picture and why you are doing what you are doing. Quality work by you is vital to the benefit-risk decision between the patient and their healthcare professional, and at the end of the day we are all patients.
How do you relax and forget about work?
Netball and I recently took up running as well, which I never thought would happen.
In an alternate life, what would you do for a living?
I’d be a farmer.
Biography:
Sam Knivett has worked in the field of pharmacovigilance for 11 years, having begun her career in the veterinary sector. She moved to human medicines in 2003 and has worked at Pfizer for five years.
For the last 17 months Sam has lead the drug safety team – an extremely busy business function that processed in excess of 70,000 adverse event reports in 2007 alone. In addition, the Pfizer drug safety team have undergone MHRA and IMB inspections covering GCP and PV, all of which has served to develop a high quality, efficient and valued team.
Sam completed an MSc in clinical pharmacology in 2004, which helped deepen her knowledge of the industry and pharmacovigilance.
Sam is treasurer for the Pharmaceutical Information and Pharmacovigilance Association (PIPA) and sits on the ABPI Pharmacovigilance Advisory Group.
If you would like to contribute to a future Working Life, please contact Andrew McConaghie via e-mail at: amcconag@wiley.com
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