Lundbeck sales and marketing staff wake up to insomnia

Citation

(2008), "Lundbeck sales and marketing staff wake up to insomnia", Industrial and Commercial Training, Vol. 40 No. 5. https://doi.org/10.1108/ict.2008.03740eab.002

Lundbeck sales and marketing staff wake up to insomnia

Article Type: Notes and news From: Industrial and Commercial Training, Volume 40, Issue 5

Sales and marketing staff at pharmaceutical company Lundbeck are being given e-learning in preparation for the launch of the company’s new insomnia treatment, Circadin.

Lundbeck, an international pharmaceutical company with head offices in Copenhagen, Denmark, specializes in developing treatments for psychiatric and neurological disorders. Because primary insomnia is a new therapeutic area for the company, the training has to cover all background anatomy and physiology relevant to sleep disorders, as well as to educate staff in therapeutic approaches and current competition.

The company commissioned Information Transfer to provide clear, informative animations to illustrate complex physiological processes that combine clinical accuracy with creativity. Since time to launch is extremely tight, a key factor helping Information Transfer to win the contract was its promise to deliver four e-learning modules in three months.

Circadin mimics the physiological profile of the body’s own melatonin secretion and could be a valuable alternative to traditional sedative hypnotics, which share a number of drawbacks, such as dependency and residual drowsiness.

Lundbeck has also licensed Information Transfer’s learning-management system, the Knowledge Center, to deliver, manage and track all the courses and user progress. Lundbeck staff will be able to use the Knowledge Center 24 hours a day through their company intranet, or from home using the internet. The Knowledge Center allows rapid deployment of learning, and supports the phased delivery of training materials.

Meanwhile, property consultant Hampton International has commissioned Information Transfer to write an e-learning course on lone working, to complement its classroom training. The course explains personal safety and introduces the firm’s policy and procedures for staff who need to work alone.

Safe Lone Working is one element of a suite of e-learning material covering health and safety – part of the library of compliance training that is provided online for all staff.

Over 20 years ago the murder of estate agent Suzy Lamplugh made the headlines after she failed to return from a viewing. Her diary showed she had gone to meet a “Mr Kipper” at a property for sale. She did not call back to her office and missed a later appointment, which was unusual. Worried colleagues called the police. Despite a massive search she was never heard of again.

Her parents set up the Suzy Lamplugh Trust to raise awareness of the risks of lone working. The law on safety at work now requires employers to have procedures for reducing the risks faced by staff who have to work alone. This includes the provision of appropriate training.