Elena Rizkallal studied pharmacy at the University of Granada and is currently in the 2nd year of Master's Degree in design Galenic and Manufacturing in the Pharmaceutical Industry (MDGFI) of the School Pharmacy and Nutrition. She is currently doing a paid internship at Chemo (group Insudpharma), in Azuqueca de Henares (Guadalajara).

"Chemo Liconsa is a CMO that works with a multitude of national and international firms, so every day we have to give priority to each of the choices, decisions and preferences of each client," explains Elena. "For that reason, we workers need to know each of the peculiarities of the clients to be able to offer them exactly what they need, which makes the routine of our day-to-day life disappear."

Rizkallal currently works in two teams. On the one hand, in Systems, within Quality Assurance, where he is in charge of resolving and managing the reports and investigations related to quality and pharmacovigilance that reach them from patients, pharmacies, distributors and brands at the international level, some eight a day. "We also prepare the PQRs (Product Quality Review), an annual review of the entire product process, including OOS, OOT, deviations, manufacturing lines, change controls, etc. that go all the way to registration. We manage the CAPAs of the entire plant and the general quality training to all Chemo Liconsa's staff . In Systems we also give support to the audits, thanks to the PQRs and CAPAs especially and, if they are from customers, also to the complaints". 

But Elena also carries out the quality inspection carried out at storeroom, where her functions focus on management of the documentation, file of guides, analysis bulletins or validation reports, among other issues. "I also inspect the samples of each batch that leave the manufacturing plant to check that they meet specifications, before storing them in controlled humidity and temperature conditions," she details.

The importance of the training internship

The Master's Degree in design Galenic and Manufacturing in the Pharmaceutical Industry that Elena attends, bets for a great part internship in the training of the students. During the first year, while theoretical classes are being developed, practical rotations are carried out in the pilot drug manufacturing plant of School, with more than 400 m2. This curriculum includes rotations in the manufacture of conventional drugs, the manufacture of biotechnological drugs and quality assurance.

In addition, during the second year, this postgraduate program is entirely dedicated to paid professional internships in the pharmaceutical industry at national level. Thus, students have the opportunity to work in companies such as Baxter (Huesca), Novartis (Barcelona), GlaxoSmithKline (Burgos), Teva Pharma (Zaragoza), 3P Biopharmaceuticals (Navarra), Laboratorios Cinfa (Navarra), among others.