Rebekah Adebanjo - Pharmacovigilance Officer
What do you do?
I am a Pharmacovigilance Officer; my role includes case processing of individual case safety reports which we receive from various sources. I support the maintenance of SDEA (Safety Data Exchange Agreements) with our clients and I am involved in cross vendor management and reconciliation of cases and contact. I also monitor and manage various aspects of PV-related content for the business and the drug profiles in in which they are marketed.
What do you enjoy most about your role?
I enjoy the diversity from answering enquires to case management - learning about the different types of adverse events which arise from the cases which I process. Submission of these cases to the regulatory authorities as well as researching also helps in further learning within this space.
How did you get into Pharma?
I undertook a Year in Industry at Celgene (now Bristol Myers Squibb) whilst studying for my undergraduate degree in Pharmacology with Business. Through my role as a Drug Safety Intern this allowed me to enter the world of Pharmacovigilance. The role broadened my horizon of more roles and aspects within the Pharmaceutical industry and it was not just unilateral.
Why Pharma?
I enjoyed science during primary and secondary school. Pharmacy was an option, when I finished Uni, but I did not want to be restricted to just the hospital or community which seemed to be the ‘known’ choices at the time. The Pharma space seemed to have more areas within it – involving law, writing, sales, commercial and surveillance which suits my personality as it covers the variety of areas I am interested in.
What has your experience been being #BlackInPharma?
My experience so far has been positive, however I am yet to see people like myself in leadership spaces and in the Pharma space in general. In my roles, I tend to be the only black person, or one of a handful, in the team or company as a whole which shows there is more to be done about publicising roles within Pharma and highlighting opportunities in this lovely space.
Top tips to getting into your role / Pharma?
1. Ensure your LinkedIn and social media platforms represent your brand and who you are. We are in the social media age, we are social creatures and your online footprint is very important. The global marketplace is in our hands.
2. Highlight your experiences and harness skills learnt and gained to stand out.
3. Nominate yourself and put yourself forward for new projects and roles.
Fun fact
I came third for a televised spelling bee show in 2004; Hard Spell Abbey.
