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Best Practice for Writing Effective SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) Training Course

An essential course for ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements and including best practice SOP writing using process mapping.

★★★★★ "Excellent, this is the second course I have attended run by IPI academy."

12 December 2024
+ 27 March 2025, 17 July 2025, 4 December 2025 »

from £549

Need help?  Enrol or reserve

Course overview

Standard operating procedures (SOPs) play a crucial compliance role with regulations. It is therefore essential that they are well written and easy to use. If SOPs are not followed correctly, the validity of data generated is compromised, leading to inspection findings and non-compliance issues which could lead to delays in bringing a drug/device to market.

This interactive SOP course has been specifically designed to help you develop the skills to write and produce the content of SOPs using a best practice process including process mapping, review and implement SOPs and ensure you comply in a regulated environment.

You will come away with the confidence to use a best practice process to write, update and implement effective SOPs.

This course is part of our Regulatory Affairs Training course collection, which features updates on the latest regulations to registration procedures and strategies.

Benefits of attending

  • Master the art of writing user-friendly SOPs
  • Learn how to prepare the content of SOPs including process mapping
  • Discover how to implement and manage SOPs effectively
  • Carry out effective SOP training
  • Ensure your SOPs incorporate appropriate regulatory requirements

Who should attend?

  • All those in pharma, biotech, generics, devices and animal health industries who are involved in preparing, reviewing and/or managing SOPs
  • Ideal as an introduction and also helpful to those wanting to ensure they are aware of best practice
  • Particularly relevant for those in GxP areas including clinical research, pharmacovigilance, QA, regulatory affairs and GMP

Enrol or reserve

This course will cover:

Fundamentals of effective SOPs

  • When are SOPs needed and why?
  • The difference between SOPs, policy documents, work instructions and local guidance
  • Determine the scope, roles and responsibilities associated with SOPs
  • Identify the essential structure of SOPs
  • Share best practice: what makes a good SOP?
  • Identify who should write, review and authorise SOPs
  • Current thinking in writing SOPs
  • Application of process mapping for writing SOPs
  • Example of a best practice SOP

Write concise and user-friendly SOPs

  • Translate the flow of operations into the document
  • Write SOPs that are sufficiently detailed, but not restrictive and limiting
  • Understand the target audience and account for end users’ needs
  • Tips for how to write the content, format, style and presentation
  • Defining SOP content using mind-mapping and process-mapping/flow-charting

SOP implementation and management

  • Review and approval processes for SOPs
  • Handling updates – when should SOPs be updated and how?
  • Distribution, version control
  • SOP training
  • How to maximise end-user compliance
  • Exercise: write an SOP using best practice methodology

Practice preparing an SOP

Ensuring Your SOPs meet regulatory requirements

  • What needs to be included for compliance in GxP areas?
  • Current regulatory trends
  • Tips for what auditors and inspectors look for when they review SOPs

 

Enrol or reserve

Laura Brown
Independent Pharmaceutical Consultant

Dr Laura Brown is an independent pharmaceutical QA consultant and is a recognised expert in QA including auditing SOPs for regulatory compliance. She has more than 25 years’ international experience in the pharmaceutical industry in a number of senior roles and has worked for companies including GSK, Hoechst Marion Roussel, Farmitalia and Phoenix International. She has worked in several quality assurance roles which have included writing, reviewing and auditing SOPs and CAPA implementation and has helped companies prepare SOPs and review CAPA systems to meet regulatory requirements.

More details

NEW higher discounts for multiple bookings - bring your colleagues to make your training budget go further:

  • 30% off the 2nd delegate*
  • 40% off the 3rd delegate*
  • 50% off the 4th delegate*

Please contact us for pricing if you are interested in booking 5 or more delegates

12 December 2024

Live online

09:30-17:00 UK (London) (UTC+00)
10:30-18:00 Paris (UTC+01)
04:30-12:00 New York (UTC-05)
Course code 14087

  • GBP 549 649
  • EUR 789 929
  • USD 893 1,049

Until 07 Nov

View basket 

 
Not ready to book yet?

for 7 days, no obligation

27 March 2025

Live online

09:30-17:00 UK (London) (UTC+00)
10:30-18:00 Paris (UTC+01)
05:30-13:00 New York (UTC-04)
Course code 14636

  • GBP 549 649
  • EUR 789 929
  • USD 893 1,049

Until 20 Feb

View basket 

 
Not ready to book yet?

for 7 days, no obligation

17 July 2025

Live online

09:30-17:00 UK (London) (UTC+01)
10:30-18:00 Paris (UTC+02)
04:30-12:00 New York (UTC-04)
Course code 14852

  • GBP 549 649
  • EUR 789 929
  • USD 893 1,049

Until 12 Jun

View basket 

 
Not ready to book yet?

for 7 days, no obligation

4 December 2025

Live online

09:30-17:00 UK (London) (UTC+00)
10:30-18:00 Paris (UTC+01)
04:30-12:00 New York (UTC-05)
Course code 15145

  • GBP 549 649
  • EUR 789 929
  • USD 893 1,049

Until 30 Oct

View basket 

 
Not ready to book yet?

for 7 days, no obligation

* Early booking discounts may not be combined with other discounts or offers. As such, the discounts for 2nd/3rd/4th delegates are based on the full price; and apply only when booking multiple delegates on the same date.

Reviews of IPI's Best Practice for Writing Effective SOPs training course


Excellent, this is the second course I have attended run by IPI academy.

Apr 23 2024

Huw Evans
Medical & Scientific Liaison, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Europe Ltd

Jul 18 2024

It was a good experience.

Talal Mohammad Hameed Aljohani
SANS

Jul 18 2024

Very well prepared and structured. Also in terms of presentation very clear and detailed.

Ilaria Merico
Manager, Compliance Regulatory Affairs, Global Rare Diseases, Chiesi Farmaceutici S.p.A.

Apr 23 2024

Excellent! Exactly what I was hoping for

Mona Bjørkmo
Associate Director, Drug Safety & Risk Management, GE HealthCare

Jul 17 2023

Excellent and will certainly book on others

Allan Thornhill
Head of BSU, Institute of Cancer Research

Jul 17 2023

Great presenter and good content

Ian Wilson
Named Training and Competency Officer, Institute of Cancer Research

Dec 12 2022

Thank you for organizing this amazing training session. It was very informative and interesting. The materials were highly motivating and Mrs. Brown was very professional.

Esra Ago
Global Safety Senior Expert, Dompé Albania SH.P.K

Dec 12 2022

Very patient teacher, Laura also connect with us very easy and for me the course was interesting and fast!

Aida Otero
Production technician, CZ Vaccines

Jun 27 2022

Great content, presentation and speaker

Beth Newby
AE Management Associate, Reckitt

Dec 2 2021

Excellent presentation, clear objectives met and well presented.

Andrew Jessup
Compliance Manager, World Transport Agency

Dec 2 2021

I like the course content, the samples presented, and the knowledge application through interactive workshops. Laura is very clear with her topics.

Tiffany Hitchen
Quality Specialist Document Control, Hologic Ltd

Dec 2 2021

Good content and examples that are relevant. Speaker provided information that responded to the subject and was well structured. Very good examples.

Ioana Pantelica
GCP Coordinator, Chiesi Canada

Dec 3 2020

I would recommend this webinar to other colleagues. The contents were useful for following-up the session and the speaker managed to transmit successfully her knowledge.

Pablo Garcilópez
Regulatory Affairs Specialist, Grifols, S.A.

Dec 3 2020

Laura was clear and concise, knowledgeable and helpful. I thought that the workshops were particularly helpful.

Ben Emmett
Regulatory Affairs Executive, Bimeda Animal Health Ltd

Dec 2 2019

Excellent course, highly recommended.

Hannah Allende
Assistant Clinical Trials Manager, University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust

Jun 27 2019

Thank you very much for the interesting course.

Nesrin Polat
QA Manager & Auditor, Trilogy Writing & Consulting

Dec 2 2019

Excellent teacher. Laura presented in an inclusive way and her presentation kept my attention.

Annette Hjemsted
PV Specialist, H. Lundbeck A/S

Jun 27 2019

Very interesting course, with lots of good hints and tips. Really useful with real life examples during the interactive workshops.

Mariam Salhotra
PV Assistant Manager, Pharmacovigilance - GPEL, Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Europe R&F Ltd

Dec 3 2018

It's one of the few courses I've done so far and it's the best of them. I do recommend it to everyone.

Margarit Poutsi
Test Technician, Team Consulting

Jun 28 2018

Approachable and encouraged interaction. Excellent presenter, group size and format. Liked interactive approach and practical exercises. Examples [were] really helpful.

Miranda Dunstan
Clinical Process Improvement Specialist, GW Pharmaceuticals Ltd

Jun 28 2018

Personable, clear, concise presenter. Thoroughly enjoyed it...

Deborah Thomson
QA Coordinator, TauRx Therapeutics Ltd

Jun 28 2018

Very knowledgable, very pleasant speaker. Content covered a broad area - useful for professional writers and SME assigned the task.

Elisabeth Smith
Senior Quality Specialist, Hoffmann- La Roche Ltd

Jun 28 2018

Very nice and friendly. Easy to understand. I would recommend this course to colleagues who have not yet been author or co-author of new or existing SOP's .

Line Møller Kofoed
Senior Clinical Safety Associate, Novo Nordisk

Jun 28 2018

Very knowledgable.

Sally Featherstone
Operations Director, Medical Device Usability Limited

Dec 6 2017

Concise and very straight to the point. Great to have some with relevant proven experience delivery the course

Bolutife Adeyemi
Senior PV Associate, GW Pharmaceuticals plc

Dec 6 2017

Brilliant, really enjoyed it. Given me the confidence to go ahead and write SOP's as I did find the prospect daunting and didn't know the best approach to get the job done

Diana Kalmoni-Hassay
Reports, Submissions and Compliance Associate, GW Pharmaceuticals plc

Dec 6 2017

Very good and interesting with plenty of real world experience to support what was being said

Chris Martin
Quality Engineer, Remote Diagnostic Technologies Ltd

Dec 5 2016

I found elements of the course particularly useful, especially the aforementioned examples of SOP format

Shaun Pope
Manager of Product Development and Operations, Mundipharma Research Ltd

Jun 30 2016

Presented very well by Laura Brown. A mixture of visual and pro-active exercises was used which I found very good. Content of the course was helpful and very sufficient.

Sophie Thompson
Quality Engineer, Wesley Coe (Cambridge) Limited

Dec 5 2016

Really good course, very well organised, great speaker and very helpful group work

Holly Palmer
QA Supervisor , Torbay Pharmaceuticals

Dec 5 2016

Useful. Did what it said on the tin.

Sarah Naylor
Head of Quality, Upperton Ltd

Dec 5 2016

The content was good, presentations and interactive way of introducing the methods

Esther Janssen
Compliance Manager, Ferring Pharmaceuticals A/S

Jun 30 2016

Very Interactive course that give the opportunity to ask questions

Valeria Ciani
Chiesi Farmaceutici spa

Jun 30 2016

It was an enjoyable course with a good mixture of taught and interactive sessions.

Sarah Soerensen
Senior clinical safety associate, Novo Nordisk A/S

United Kingdom

  • 3M Healthcare Ltd
  • Abbott Laboratories Ltd
  • Advanex Europe Ltd
  • Allergan
  • Amgen Ltd
  • Animalcare
  • Animax Ltd
  • APHA
  • Aptuit (Edinburgh) Ltd
  • Associates of Cape Cod Inc
  • Astellas Pharma Europe Ltd
  • AstraZeneca UK Ltd
  • Bayer Healthcare
  • Bayer Public Limited Company
  • Bespak Europe Ltd
  • Bimeda Animal Health Ltd
  • Biogen Idec Ltd
  • Britannia Pharmaceuticals Ltd
  • Cambridge Consultants Ltd
  • Celgene Europe Ltd
  • CHEPLAPHARM Arzneimittel GmbH
  • Chesapeake Pharmaceutical & Healthcare Packaging
  • Chiesi
  • Daiichi Sankyo UK Ltd
  • Danisco A/S
  • Dermal Laboratories Ltd
  • DHL Hospital Logistics Centre
  • DHLSupply Chain
  • Eisai Ltd
  • Eli Lilly & Company Ltd
  • EusaPharma (Europe) Ltd
  • Evoctec Oai Ltd
  • Flynn Pharma
  • GlaxoSmithKline
  • Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Europe R&F Ltd
  • Goldenzone Ltd
  • Grifols UK Ltd
  • Grunenthal Ltd
  • GSK
  • GW Pharmaceutical Ltd
  • GW Pharmaceuticals
  • GW Pharmaceuticals Ltd
  • GW Pharmaceuticals plc
  • Hologic Ltd
  • Hospira UK Ltd
  • Institute of Cancer Research
  • Interport Ltd
  • Johnson & Johnson Limited
  • Magstim Company Ltd
  • MedAffairs Limited
  • Medical Device Usability Limited
  • Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)
  • Mediscribe Consulting Ltd
  • Milpharm Ltd/Aurobindo Pharma Limited
  • Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Europe Ltd
  • Moorfields Pharmaceuticals
  • MSD Ltd
  • Mundipharma Research Ltd
  • Nanopharm Ltd, an Aptar Pharma Company
  • Necessity Supplies Ltd
  • Norbrook Laboratories
  • Norgine Ltd
  • Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
  • Novus Biologicals Ltd
  • Nutricia Ltd
  • Nycomed UK Limited
  • nzyme
  • Otsuka Pharmaceutical Europe Ltd
  • Owen Mumford Ltd
  • Panacea Pharma Projects
  • PCI Pharma Services
  • Pharmacovigilance Matters Limited
  • Pharmaspec Specials
  • Philips Respironics
  • Procter & Gamble
  • ProductLife Limited
  • ProductLife Ltd
  • Public Health England
  • Pure Drug Safety
  • QRC Consultants Ltd
  • Rayner Intraocular Lenses Ltd
  • Reckitt
  • Reckitt Benckiser Healthcare (UK) Ltd
  • Regulis Consulting Limited
  • Remote Diagnostic Technologies Ltd
  • Roche Products Ltd
  • Sanofi Pasteur MSD Ltd
  • Servier Laboratories Ltd.
  • Sharp Life Science (EU) Ltd
  • SincasPharma
  • SMO UK Limited
  • South West London Cancer Research Network
  • Southern Salads Ltd
  • Springboard
  • Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Europe Ltd
  • TauRx Therapeutics Ltd
  • Team Consulting
  • Team Consulting Ltd
  • Teva UK Ltd
  • The Binding Site Inc
  • Tissue Regenix Ltd
  • Tissue Science Laboratories PLC
  • Torbay Pharmaceuticals
  • Trac Services Ltd
  • UCB Pharma Limited
  • University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust
  • University of Lincoln
  • Upperton Ltd
  • Valeant Pharmaceuticals Ltd
  • Vetark Professional
  • Vifor Pharma UK Limited
  • Wesley Coe (Cambridge) Limited
  • Wockhart UK Limited
  • World Courier (UK) Limited
  • World Transport Agency
  • Wyeth Pharmaceuticals

Germany

  • AMBU AS
  • Ambu Innovation GmbH
  • AWD Pharma GmbH & Co KG
  • Bayer Healthcare AG
  • Bayer Pharma AG
  • Berlin-Chemie AG
  • Biontech
  • BioNTech SE Mainz
  • Biotest AG
  • Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG
  • Cochlear Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG
  • Csl Behring Innovation GmbH
  • Grunenthal GmbH
  • Medac GmbH
  • Merz Aesthetics GmbH
  • MSD AH Innovation GmbH
  • MSD Animal Health Innovation GmbH
  • Mundipharma Research GmbH & Co Kg
  • SCRATCH Pharmacovigilance GmbH & Co. KG
  • Trilogy Writing & Consulting
  • Trilogy Writing & Consulting GmbH

Belgium

  • Chiesi SA NV
  • Cyberonics Europe BVBA
  • EORTC
  • GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals
  • Huvepharma NV
  • IBA
  • International Bar News
  • Ion Beam Applications SA
  • Janssen Pharmaceutica NV
  • PhaRA BV
  • s.a. Lundbeck nv
  • Sanofi-Aventis
  • SGS Belgium NV
  • SGS Belgium NV Life Science Services
  • UCB Pharma SA
  • Uteron Pharma (UPO)

Switzerland

  • Actelion Pharmaceutical Ltd
  • Azad Pharma AG
  • Cochlear AG
  • CYTOS Biotechnology AG
  • F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd
  • HilleVax GmbH
  • Hoffmann- La Roche Ltd
  • Idorsia Pharmaceuticals Ltd
  • Merck Serono SA
  • Nestle Research Centre
  • Novartis Consumer Health SA
  • Skan AG
  • Takeda Pharmaceutials International AG
  • TRI Dental Implants Int. AG
  • Ypsomed AG

Italy

  • Actelion Pharmaceuticals Italia Srl
  • Alfa Wassermann S.p.A.
  • Alfrapharma Srl
  • Arcoblu srl
  • Bracco Spa
  • Bristol Myers Squibb
  • Chiesi Farmaceutici S.p.A.
  • Chiesi Farmaceutici SPA
  • Di Renzo SRL
  • Diasorin S.p.A
  • Dompé Farmaceutici Spa
  • Novartis Vaccines & Diagnostics SRL
  • Zambon SpA

Denmark

  • Actavis A/S
  • ALK
  • Copenhagen HIV Programme
  • Ferring Pharmaceuticals A/S
  • H. Lundbeck A/S
  • LEO Pharma A/S
  • Neurodan A/S
  • Novo Nordisk
  • Novo Nordisk A/S
  • Novo Nordisk A/S. Company Member no. 3431
  • Pharmacosmos A/S
  • Takeda Pharma A/S

Netherlands

  • ApotheekZorg
  • Astellas BV
  • Beaphar BV
  • Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health Netherlands
  • Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health Netherlands BV
  • Genzyme Europe BV
  • Intervet International BV MSD Animal Health
  • Janssen Biologics BV
  • Nutreco Nederland B.V
  • uniQure biopharma B.V.
  • Zoetis

France

  • ALEXION Europe SAS
  • Azur Health Science
  • Boehringer Ingelheim
  • CERA SAS
  • Ceva Sante Animale Sa
  • Pierre Fabre Medicament
  • Sanofi Pasteur Siege mondial
  • Sanofi Winthrop Industrie
  • Science Union

Spain

  • CZ VACCINES
  • Grifols, S.A.
  • Grupo Ferrer Internacional SA
  • Laboratorios Andromaco SA
  • Laboratorios CINFA
  • Laboratorios Leti SL Unipersonal
  • Pen & Tec Consulting S.L.U.
  • Zendal

Ireland

  • ABP Ireland
  • ABP Ireland & Poland
  • Fire1 Foundry
  • Helsinn Birex Pharmaceuticals Ltd
  • Lundbeck (Ireland) Ltd
  • NEXA EAM

Sweden

  • Key2Compliance
  • Nordberg Medical AB
  • Polypeptide group
  • Q-Med AB
  • Wellspect Healthcare

Norway

  • GE HealthCare
  • Institute for Energy Technology
  • NattoPharma ASA
  • Pronova BioPharma Norge AS

United States of America

  • MRLQA
  • Oregon's Wild Harvest
  • Prothena Biosciences
  • The Procter & Gamble Co.

Hungary

  • EGIS Pharmaceuticals PLC
  • Gedeon Richter Plc. VAT No: HU 10484878
  • Mylan Hungary Kft

Slovak Republic

  • Ewopharma International s.r.o
  • Ewopharma International s.r.o.
  • Ewopharma International, s.r.o.

Bulgaria

  • R&D Services
  • Sopharma plc

Israel

  • Roche (Israel) Pharmaceuticals
  • TEVA

Romania

  • Ewopharma AG
  • SC Pharma Serv International Srl

Turkey

  • Boehringer Ingelheim
  • Boehringer Ingelheim Ilaç Tic. A.S.

Albania

  • Dompé Albania SH.P.K

Australia

  • Bayer Animal Health

Austria

  • Valneva Austria GmbH

Canada

  • Chiesi Canada

Greece

  • HEALTH DATA SPECIALISTS SINGLE MEMBER SA

India

  • Cipla Ltd

Latvia

  • Association of Latvian Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industry

Lebanon

  • Grunenthal GmbH

Saudi Arabia

  • SANS

Enrol or reserve

Run Best Practice for Writing Effective SOPs Live online for your team

1 day

Typical duration

Pricing from:

  • GBP 450
  • Per attendee, based on 10 attendees
  • Course tailored to your requirements
  • At your choice of location, or online

 

We can customise this course to your requirements and deliver it on an in-house basis for any number of your staff or colleagues.

Contact our in-house training experts Aleksandra Beer and Yesim Nurko to discuss your requirements:

Multiple colleagues? See above for details of our discounts for 2, 3, or 4 delegates. For more, talk to one of our training experts to discuss how to:

Run this course conveniently and cost-effectively in-house for your staff and colleagues

Aleksandra Beer

Aleksandra BEER
Training expert

Yesim Nurko

Yesim NURKO
Training expert

+44 (0)20 7749 4749

inhouse@ipi.academy