UC Irvine Extension Offers Course in Medical Product Crisis Management; Class Provides Tools for Medical Industry Professionals in Orange County, Los Angeles and San Diego to Address Public in Times of Crisis

Business Wire, July 27, 2005

IRVINE, Calif. -- Recent regulatory and marketing changes in the Life Sciences industry have prompted UC Irvine Extension to offer a special, one-weekend course on Medical Product Crisis Management. The class will provide professionals in the medical industry with guidelines on how to develop an effective crisis management plan for their healthcare product portfolio.

"The recent recall of the popular drug Vioxx and the reported cases of vision loss caused by popular drugs like Viagra, Levitra and Cialis are just two examples of how medical companies can respond to crisis in an organized and responsible fashion," said Rogelio C. Rodriguez, Director of Engineering and Science Programs for UC Irvine Extension. "Now, more than ever, companies are realizing the value of having a long-term crisis management plan in place."

An effective crisis management plan involves individuals from all areas of the Life Science organization. UC Irvine Extension's course is designed for executive-level management, including vice presidents, directors and managers; R&D; professionals involved in clinical trials; individuals in regulatory affairs; and sales and marketing representatives. Participants will further their understanding of how to form a crisis response team, create a communications channel, establish a chain of command, designate a company spokesperson, create a media contact list and troubleshoot several crisis scenarios.

Course instructor Craig Smith, M.S., M.B.A., is director of marketing and business development at Orange County-based Trimedyne, Inc. "The manner in which a company responds to a crisis can have far-reaching effects, both internally and on the entire industry," said Smith, who has more than 20 years' experience in medical product marketing, sales and clinical trial development. "Companies with no plan or a poor plan risk losing everything if they respond inappropriately to a crisis, and, unfortunately, waiting until the crisis happens is too late."

UCI Extension is offering the Medical Product Crisis Management two-day course Friday, August 26, and Saturday, August 27, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., at the UCI Learning Center in Orange, Calif. Registration is recommended one week prior to the course start date. For more information or to enroll, please log onto www.extension.uci.edu or call 949-824-6538.