Finance for Non-Financial Leaders in the Pharmaceutical Industry

Course overview

I

n today’s highly regulated and cost-sensitive pharmaceutical environment, financial literacy is no longer optional for business leaders - it’s a strategic necessity.

Every decision, from R&D investment to market access and compliance, directly impacts the Profit & Loss (P&L) and long-term value creation.

This workshop-style training course is designed specifically for non-financial leaders across the UK and global pharmaceutical sector who need to understand how financial principles integrate with the unique regulatory, pricing and compliance frameworks shaping pharma performance.

Through a mix of hands-on case studies, financial modelling exercises and a capstone simulation, participants will gain practical insight into how financial decisions interact with VPAG pricing, HTA outcomes, IFRS reporting, and compliance obligations under GxP, ABPI, and global anti-bribery frameworks.

By the end of the training course, you’ll be able to confidently interpret and explain a pharma P&L, connect operational and regulatory realities to financial outcomes, and apply accounting and compliance standards to real-world business scenarios.

You’ll also learn how to anticipate the financial impact of complex issues such as serialisation, managed entry agreements, transfer pricing and global tax reforms.

Whether you lead commercial, operational, or compliance teams, this training course will equip you with the financial fluency and strategic insight to contribute effectively to cross-functional decision-making and drive sustainable growth in a challenging global market.

During this highly interactive course, the expert trainer uses a practical, case-based learning approach that bridges technical finance with pharmaceutical operations, including:

Interactive simulations:

scenario-driven exercises where teams interpret real-life product P&Ls and cash-flow impacts

Worked models

: participants use tailored Excel tools (gross-to-net waterfall, rebate accrual engine, NPV calculator) to quantify and visualise financial outcomes

Regulatory crosslinks

: each finance topic is tied to live UK and global regulatory sources (KPMG, GOV.UK, EMA, OECD, ABPI)

Capstone session

: a group-based simulation integrating finance, compliance, and strategy to manage a hypothetical product through a complex pricing and supply chain challenge

Delegates will benefit from a toolkit for ongoing reference, including:

Excel models:

gross-to-net waterfall, rebate accrual engine, NPV scenario toolChecklists: VPAG forecasting checklist, ABPI/EFPIA disclosure template, BEPS Pillar Two readiness scan, GxP/GVP financial triggers, DSCSA/FMD compliance tracker

Reference compendium

: summaries of key regulatory and financial frameworks, including IFRS, OECD, MHRA, and ABPI updates.

Key references (standardised citations):

GOV.UK – Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines (2024–2028)

KPMG Pharma Accounting Updates (Revenue Recognition & IFRS Applications)

EMA – Good Manufacturing Practice and Serialization Guidelines

OECD – Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (Pillar Two Framework)

ABPI – Code of Practice (2024)

MHRA – GxP Data Integrity Guidance

All financial and regulatory frameworks used in this training reflect the latest publicly available

guidance at the time of delivery. (VPAG rates, DSCSA/FMD timelines, OECD BEPS Pillar

Two thresholds, etc., are subject to periodic revision.)

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Benefits of attending

By the end of the training course, participants will be able to:

Interpret

a pharmaceutical Profit & Loss statement, identifying the impact of rebates, chargebacks, clawbacks, and returns on gross-to-net revenue

Apply

IFRS 15, IAS 38, and IAS 37 standards to real-world pharmaceutical settings, understanding how revenue recognition, development capitalisation, and provisions interact within R&D and market access portfolios

Navigate

the UK VPAG 2024–2028 pricing framework, model revenue implications of NICE and HTA outcomes, and integrate these into business forecasts

Recognise

the financial consequences of GxP, GMP, and MHRA compliance deviations - from yield losses and write-offs to impairments

Integrate

key compliance frameworks (ABPI/EFPIA, UK Bribery Act, US FCPA, Anti-Kickback Statute, Sunshine Act/Open Payments) into SOPs and finance controls

Understand

OECD BEPS Pillar Two and global minimum tax reforms for multinational pharma operations, and model their impact on tax and transfer pricing decisions

Assess

how serialisation and traceability regulations (EU FMD and US DSCSA 2024/2025) influence financial exposure, inventory management, and working capital.

Who should attend?

This training course has been designed specifically for senior and mid-level managers, team leaders and technical specialists from R&D, clinical, regulatory, commercial, sales and marketing, manufacturing, distribution and purchasing in the pharmaceutical industry.

General managers and team leaders

Operations directors

Business unit heads of department

Technical specialists from R&D and clinical

Medical affairs professionals

Commercial and brand managers

Quality assurance managers

Regulatory affairs managers

Procurement and supply chain managers

Market access and pricing managers

Legal and compliance officers

Finance business partners transitioning into strategic finance roles

Non-financial executives preparing for senior leadership roles

This course will cover: