In recent years, the pharmaceutical industry has undergone constant shifts and changes in response to scientific discoveries, technological advancements, regulatory forces, and evolving markets. This field is also growing rapidly, with the US pharmaceutical market reaching over $570B in 2023 and projected to exceed $1T by 2030.
As professionals in these growing fields navigate evolving technology, changing role responsibilities, and widening skill gaps, employees often are left discouraged and ill-equipped to meet the needs of their roles and comply with ever-changing regulatory requirements. Learning and development teams must provide support through role-based pharma training to give their employees the upskilling and guidance they need to successfully navigate a post-transformation pharma industry.
By viewing employee training as a strategic investment rather than a regulatory obligation, pharmaceutical and life sciences companies can improve the experience of pharma employees, prepare them with hands-on training, support them in their day-to-day roles, ensure teams can meet their goals and comply with regulations, and drive business outcomes.
In this article, we will outline key factors requiring a reinvention of team member training at pharma and life sciences organizations and common areas requiring training. We will also provide best practices for developing effective pharma training programs and detail common challenges contextual to the pharma and life science sector.
Key Drivers Behind Pharma and Life Sciences Training Demands
Pharma and life sciences organizations operate under some of the most complex and highly regulated environments. Training is not just about employee development, it is a regulatory requirement directly tied to patient safety, product quality, and audit readiness. Below are the primary forces driving the demand for specialized training:
- High regulatory burden: Pharma companies must comply with evolving global standards such as GxP (GMP, GCP, GLP), 21 CFR 211.25 (training requirements), 21 CFR Part 11 (electronic records and signatures), EU Annex 11, and HIPAA for patient data protection. Regulators expect proof that employees are trained, qualified, and regularly re-trained. Non-compliance can result in audit findings, fines, or delays in product approvals.
- Rapid technological transformation: The adoption of AI, automation, digital labs, and cloud-based platforms has redefined pharma workflows. Employees need continuous upskilling to remain proficient in systems like CTMS, LIMS, QMS, and ERP while adapting to agile digital operating models.
- Complex product and research knowledge: Pharma workforces must grasp not only the technical aspects of their roles but also the scientific context behind them. From understanding new clinical protocols to applying emerging data integrity principles like ALCOA+, employees require structured training that ensures accuracy and compliance across critical processes.
- Cross-functional collaboration requirements: Effective drug development and commercialization depend on seamless collaboration between R&D, clinical operations, quality, manufacturing, and commercial teams. Training programs must help employees understand colleagues’ roles, align on compliance-critical processes, and navigate enterprise systems such as eTMF, CTMS, QMS, ERP, and CRM platforms.
Key Training Areas for Pharma and Life Sciences Organizations
Pharmaceutical and life sciences employees require specific expertise and unique skillsets. Here are six of the most essential training areas for employees in pharma and life sciences:
End-user training for digital tasks and tools
Pharma employees often use industry-specific software (like RIM systems, QMS software, and EHR software) and common enterprise systems (like ERP and CRM). By providing employees with end-user software training, L&D and people managers can ensure that team members understand how to use software efficiently to fulfill their responsibilities and comply with legal and industry-wide regulations.
Here are some common digital tools used by pharma and life sciences employees:
- Regulatory Information Management (RIM) software
- Quality Management System (QMS)
- Electronic Health Record (EHR) Systems
- Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS)
- Clinical Trial Management Systems (CTMS)
- Research portals
- Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)
- Supply Chain Management (SCM)
- Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Software
GxP compliance training
Good practice (GxP) training in different areas, like laboratory practice (GLP), manufacturing practice (GMP), and clinical practice (GLP), to adhere to appropriate and effective procedures. Training employees on good practices helps employees learn to carry out responsibilities safely, ethically, and effectively.
Organizations must also quickly adapt to changing compliance requirements as regulations change, which means embedded change communication and workflow support for employees within their tasks and workflows.
Clinical trial training
Pharma research employees need regular clinical trial training to understand the latest regulatory requirements and industry best practices for drug development, manufacturing, and sales activities. This type of training helps employees safeguard participants, ensure integrity in research, and produce reliable and replicable outcomes.
Regulatory affairs and submission processes
Pharmaceutical employees’ work is constrained by complex and evolving laws and regulations related to developing, manufacturing, and distributing new medicines. This requires regular training to help employees understand their expectations and responsibilities and ensure compliance across the board.
Manufacturing SOPs and QA/QC
Whether they work on production lines or carry out clinical trials, pharmaceutical employees need a thorough and consistent understanding of standard operating procedures (SOPs). By ensuring that employees adhere closely to established SOPs and quality control measures, L&D teams can help teams make fewer errors, produce higher-quality products, and ensure patient safety while complying with regulations.
Soft skills
Pharmaceutical employees need soft skills like strategic thinking, teamwork, emotional intelligence, and time management to execute medical strategies and fulfill their responsibilities. From development to sales, effective soft skills training helps employees collaborate to solve problems and have better interactions with trial participants, medical professionals, and patients.
Challenges in Pharma Training
Even with clear regulatory requirements, pharma and life sciences organizations struggle to build and sustain training programs that are both compliant and effective. Some of the most pressing challenges include:
- Keeping pace with evolving regulations: Standards such as 21 CFR 211.25, 21 CFR Part 11, EU Annex 11, and the updated ICH E6(R3) Good Clinical Practice guidelines are frequently revised. Training leaders face the challenge of continuously updating curricula and ensuring employees are re-trained on time, without disrupting ongoing operations.
- Ensuring global workforce compliance: Pharma organizations operate across multiple regions, each with its own regulatory frameworks. Managing training consistency for thousands of employees and contractors across geographies, languages, and functions creates significant complexity. Missed or inconsistent training records can expose companies to audit risks.
- Driving adoption of digital systems: From QMS and CTMS to ERP and CRM platforms, digital systems are central to pharma operations. Yet employees often resist change or struggle to complete tasks correctly, leading to data entry errors, bottlenecks, and compliance gaps. Traditional classroom training or static eLearning often fails to provide the real-time support needed in these systems.
- Maintaining audit-ready documentation: Auditors expect clear, verifiable proof of employee training. Manual training records or disconnected LMS data can be incomplete or inaccurate. Without automated tracking and evidence of competency, organizations risk non-compliance findings that delay approvals or lead to penalties.
- Balancing speed with scientific complexity: Life sciences employees must quickly adapt to new product pipelines, research methods, and technology platforms while still adhering to compliance protocols. Training programs that are too generic or too slow to roll out leave critical knowledge gaps that impact both productivity and patient safety.
Best Practices for Building a Compliant, Future-Ready Pharma Training Program
Building an effective training program in pharma is not only about checking a regulatory box, it’s about creating a system that is scalable, adaptive, and audit-ready. The most successful organizations design training frameworks that align directly with compliance requirements, support employees in the flow of work, and ensure every update is captured and reinforced. Below are best practices that help pharma and life sciences companies maintain compliance while empowering their workforce to perform with confidence.
- Map training scope to regulatory requirements: Training must directly align with mandatory standards such as 21 CFR 211.25, 21 CFR Part 11, EU Annex 11, ICH E6(R3), and ALCOA+ data integrity principles. Mapping requirements to specific roles ensures that every employee, from manufacturing technicians to clinical operations staff, receives the right level of training and retraining to remain compliant.
- Blend modalities (microlearning, sandbox practice, in-app guidance): Traditional eLearning or classroom sessions are not enough in highly regulated pharma environments. A blended approach improves retention and application. Microlearning delivers quick refreshers on SOP changes, sandbox practice with tools like Whatfix Mirror allows safe rehearsal of validated workflows, and in-app guidance ensures real-time support inside QMS, CTMS, ERP, or CRM systems.
- Track effectiveness and audit trails: Regulators expect evidence that training improves both knowledge and behavior. Organizations must track completion, competency, and performance, while maintaining audit-ready documentation. Automated reporting, linked to SOPs and system usage, gives training leaders the ability to produce verifiable proof of compliance at any time.
- Refresh training with regulatory updates: Standards and guidance evolve continuously from the rollout of ICH E6(R3) to upcoming changes in EU Annex 11. Training programs need a structured refresh cycle that quickly incorporates updates and ensures employees are retrained without operational disruption. This keeps organizations aligned with the latest expectations and reduces audit risk.
How Whatfix Enables Pharma Training
Pharma training cannot rely on generic LMS courses or static SOP manuals. Employees need contextual, hands-on support embedded into their daily workflows to reduce errors, meet compliance obligations, and stay audit-ready. Whatfix enables this through a comprehensive suite of capabilities:
Mirror (sandbox training environments)
Whatfix Mirror transforms pharma training from static sandbox practice into a dynamic, end-to-end solution that combines safe environments, realistic roleplay, guided experiences, and adaptive assessments. Here’s how:
- Sandbox Training: Mirror safely clones regulated applications like QMS, ERP, CTMS, or CRM. Employees can rehearse workflows such as deviation reporting, batch record management, or eTMF submissions without risking production data or compromising audit trails.
- AI Roleplay: Simulate real-world scenarios like compliance audits, customer calls, or inspection prep. Employees practice decision-making and communication in a safe setting, building confidence before facing regulators or external stakeholders.
- Guided Experiences: Deliver contextual, step-by-step support inside the simulated environment so employees don’t just watch but actively perform tasks. This hands-on approach strengthens knowledge retention and compliance accuracy.
- Adaptive Assessments: Validate readiness with role-based, interactive evaluations tailored to pharma processes. L&D and compliance leaders get measurable insights into who is proficient, who needs retraining, and where SOP clarity may be lacking.
In-app guidance
Static SOP documents often fail employees when they need help most. Whatfix delivers step-by-step, role-based walkthroughs directly inside enterprise applications, guiding users through processes like change control, eTMF submissions, or CAPA management. Instead of pausing to reference manuals, employees receive contextual instructions at the exact moment of execution. This ensures accuracy, reduces first-time-right errors, and aligns with regulators’ expectations for controlled, documented processes.
Task lists
Compliance requires not just training but proof of completion. With Whatfix, managers can assign mandatory checklists tied to SOP changes, new regulatory requirements, or retraining cycles. Task lists appear directly in the applications employees use every day, ensuring nothing is missed. Progress is automatically tracked, giving compliance leaders visibility into completion rates and helping organizations demonstrate adherence during audits.
Self-help and knowledge base integration
Employees often waste time searching for answers across disparate training systems. Whatfix integrates SOPs, policies, and training documents into a searchable self-help widget inside core systems like Veeva Vault or SAP. Whether an employee needs to confirm the correct procedure for equipment cleaning validation or data entry standards, they can find answers instantly, reducing workflow interruptions and ensuring compliance at the point of action.
Pop-ups and beacons (change communication)
When regulations or SOPs change, communication must be immediate and targeted. Whatfix enables organizations to deliver pop-ups, banners, or beacons inside applications to notify employees of updates in real time. For instance, when ICH E6(R3) guidance is rolled out, clinical teams can see alerts and embedded resources the next time they log into CTMS. This ensures rapid awareness and adoption of critical changes, reducing compliance lag.
Analytics and reporting
Auditors expect proof not just that training was delivered, but that it was effective. Whatfix analytics provide granular insights into how employees engage with training flows, complete tasks, and adopt digital systems. Leaders can track error-prone workflows, identify retraining needs, and demonstrate with data that employees are competent. This closes the loop between training delivery, performance outcomes, and regulatory evidence.
Surveys and feedback collection
Compliance training cannot be static; it must evolve with employee needs. Whatfix allows organizations to embed surveys and feedback forms into workflows, capturing insights on where employees struggle or which SOPs lack clarity. These real-time feedback loops help L&D and compliance teams continuously improve training programs, while also providing documented evidence of training evaluation.
How Life Sciences Leaders Use Whatfix to Drive Adoption and Compliance
Pharma and life sciences organizations around the world trust Whatfix to enable their employees, streamline digital adoption, and strengthen compliance. Here are three real-world examples of measurable impact:
Sanofi
Sanofi, a global pharmaceutical leader, needed to roll out Salesforce Marketing Cloud across 190+ markets. Language diversity, lengthy onboarding, and high volumes of support tickets made adoption a challenge. With Whatfix, Sanofi delivered contextual in-app guidance, 24/7 multilingual support, and a centralized knowledge base, enabling a smoother transition. The company reduced support ticket volume, accelerated onboarding, and empowered employees to learn in their preferred language.
Grifols
Grifols, a leading biopharma company, struggled with Salesforce adoption due to complex workflows and insufficient training. Support requests were time-consuming, with each ticket averaging 40 minutes to resolve. Whatfix provided in-app onboarding guidance, real-time alerts, and analytics to identify friction points. The result: a 3x ROI on Salesforce, a 22% reduction in support volume, and measurable improvements in win rates, resolution speed, and service quality.
FAQs
How can pharma companies ensure their training programs are audit-ready?
Ensuring full audit-readiness will require regulation monitoring, continual updating of training content, strong audit trails, and data validation. Team up with compliance or third-party advisors to ensure that training content matches regulatory requirements and make arrangements to receive notifications as regulations change.
Modern compliance software can also help with this problem by automatically integrating new regulations as they change or emerge.
How is digital transformation impacting training in the pharma industry?
Pharmaceutical companies are constantly adopting new technology to drive innovation and
improve operations, whether it’s new sales software or laboratory equipment. As pharma employees use applications like quality management systems and regulatory information management systems to automate tedious tasks and streamline workflows, they gain more time to invest in more challenging work activities and professional development.
How often should employees in pharma be retrained or recertified?
Pharma employees should receive training at least annually, but more frequently if required by regulatory requirements. It is becoming more and more common for organizations to cultivate a culture of continuous learning, in which employees take on smaller training more frequently to increase knowledge retention and improve employee experience.
Ultimately, it is up to business leaders and compliance monitors to determine the most appropriate training or certification frequency for different teams.
How can companies measure the effectiveness of pharma training programs?
From the beginning of the training program development, L&D teams or other stakeholders should establish benchmarks and KPIs that can be tracked through and beyond program implementation. Many L&D tools include robust analytics software that leaders can use to measure training outcomes, paired with overall employee performance data and employee feedback. With these two data streams, leaders can better interpret the effectiveness of training and make program updates based on the results.
Pharma Training and Workflow Support Clicks Better With Whatfix
Effective training in pharma is about more than compliance, it’s about enabling employees to confidently execute complex, high-stakes workflows that impact both business outcomes and patient safety. As regulations evolve and digital systems grow more complex, traditional training methods fall short.
Whatfix empowers life sciences organizations to close this gap with contextual support, faster upskilling, and measurable compliance outcomes. By embedding training directly into the flow of work, Whatfix helps teams reduce errors, improve adoption, and stay audit-ready all while accelerating innovation.
Ready to transform how your teams learn and work? Request a free demo with us today!
