Aine Curry - Medicines on our market 

Aine recently completed the HPRA Graduate Programme in the Medicines on our market stream. She has continued to work with us as a Scientific Officer in the Compliance department. 

Read more about Aine's experience below.

How would you describe your overall experience of the Graduate Programme?

I really enjoyed the graduate programme. In university, I felt very unaware of the options available to me in the workplace.

 I couldn’t have asked for a broader and more interesting introduction to the working world. 

During the graduate programme, I was exposed to pharmacovigilance, manufacturing and distribution regulations. I observed several pharmacovigilance, manufacturing and distribution inspections, which really accelerated my learning. This helped me decipher which areas are best suited to my interests and strengths.

Everyone is extremely friendly and welcoming, happy to offer help.

What key skills or takeaways did you gain from your stream?

I gained a strong understanding of the manufacture, distribution and post-market surveillance of medicines, and the regulations which underpin these activities. The knowledge I gained in each rotation helped me in the next rotation and now in my full-time role. It’s great to feel my knowledge building, see how different teams operate, and see how what I learned in one role can be applied in another.

I learned the importance of strong attention to detail, whether that’s when processing an adverse reaction report, a licence application, or interpreting regulations to answer queries from companies.

I also attended a two-week GMP inspector training program, organised by the HPRA, where over 70 inspectors from all over the world were trained. This was a brilliant stepping stone before I observed GMP inspections in biopharmaceutical sites. I learned a lot about compliant and non-compliant companies, common deficiencies and how these may be mitigated.

Back at the office, I did research projects on the applications of quality risk management of AI in GxP environments, decentralised manufacturing of ATMPs and continuous manufacturing. I gave a presentation on the risk-based credibility assessment of AI applications in GxP environments.

The experiences really empowered me to make more informed decision regarding my future career, and I’m grateful for this. 

How would you reflect on your time working at the HPRA during the Graduate Programme?

I felt supported from the beginning. I had friendly managers and coworkers who were always happy to help me learn.

Managers gave me great opportunities to get involved in exciting projects and attend high level meetings and conferences. I was also assigned a ‘buddy’ on my first day who I could go to with my questions.

There’s a lovely work-life balance at the HPRA. I joined many of the events organised by social club. This gave me the opportunity to people from different teams and departments who I wouldn’t have interacted with otherwise.

I also joined colleagues for the 5km docklands race and attended events organised by the Health and Wellness committee regarding cancer prevention and detection, mental wellbeing, financial wellbeing and healthy eating.

I attended personal development workshops organised by the HPRA, focusing on time management and growth mindsets.