MHRA partners with US firm to train staff using VR-based educational platform

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has partnered with US-based Quality Executive Partners (QxP) to train staff on good manufacturing practices (GMP) standards using a virtual reality-based on-demand educational platform.

A team of experts from the drug regulator’s GMP Inspectorate participated as QxP’s beta partners in the pilot of its 'Virtuosi' platform, the life sciences management consulting firm has revealed.

They reviewed selected educational lecture content and VR experiences that stimulate daily operations within controlled manufacturing and microbiology laboratory settings.

"MHRA promotes innovation across all stages of the pharmaceutical lifecycle and provides regulatory advice to stakeholders through initiatives such as its Innovation Office. The MHRA’s inspectorate welcomes the opportunity to support and adopt new technology such as innovative approaches to delivering education," an MHRA spokesperson told Pharmacy Business.

The VR-based platform, first of its kind in the world, was officially launched on Tuesday.

“We are so pleased to have the benefit of MHRA’s review and perspectives within our Virtuosi Sterile Manufacturing and Microbiology series," said Crystal Mersh, CEO of QxP.

Mersh stated that the MHRA already received the first deployed VR workstation and that it would be upgraded to a full commercial release later this month.

“The MHRA team has been a key regulatory supporter during our journey in developing this commercial VR educational technology," Mersh added.

QxP expects the workstation to act as an innovative source of internal training for the MHRA GMP Inspectorate.