The Good Laboratory Practices Information Exchange Group (GLPIEG) met on March 17, 1998 in Tulsa, OK. Presiding at the meeting was W. W. Witt, Vice-Chair of the GLPIEG. In attendance were W. W. Witt-University of Kentucky, D. S. Murray-Oklahoma State University, John Mattice-University of Arkansas, Euel Coats-Mississippi State University, Carroll Southards-University of Tennessee, Roddy Young-Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University, and Administrative Adviser C. J. Scifres-University of Arkansas. The IEG met at the conclusion of a GLP training program that was sponsored jointly by the University of Arkansas and Oklahoma State University and the majority of the IEG participated in the training program.
Murray discussed briefly the results of the last meeting of the GLPIEG. Representatives from each state provided a synopsis of GLP activities at their respective institutions. The involvement of scientists at the various universities has been minimal over the past year. It was believed that the low level of GLP participation was the result of IR-4 and NAPIAP programs dropping the requirement of GLP compliance for projects funded by these two programs. Murray at Oklahoma State conducts crop residue studies under GLP compliance for pesticide manufacturers with pesticides of importance to OK.
It was the consensus of those in attendance that future emphasis of this IEG should focus on providing leadership for training sessions throughout the Southern Region. It was believed that until programs such as IR-4 or NAPIAP require GLP compliance, the number of scientists conducting research under GLP compliance will be minimal.
However, those in attendance strongly believe of the importance of GLP for graduate student education and to continue to position our scientists to meet GLP standards. The exposure of agricultural scientists to GLP expectations may allow them to be more competitive for grants and contracts, especially from non traditional funding sources. Many graduates from Entomology, Plant Pathology, Veterinary Medicine, and Weed Science are employed by agricultural industry that do conduct a major portion of their research under GLP. This IEG believes it imperative to provide GLP training for graduate students.
The IEG suggests the following. Training sessions should be held at various sites throughout the Southern Region. These sites would be on the campus of the host university for ease of participation by students, research staff, and faculty. Numerous universities are within easy driving distance of each other (AR, OSU; KY, TN; Auburn, GA) and these universities are encouraged to cooperatively sponsor these training sessions. This cooperative effort would be based on the format University of Arkansas and Oklahoma State University utilized for a successful GLP training program in 1998. Euel Coats of Mississippi State University offered to provide a training site for 1999 and the Universities of Kentucky and Tennessee would provide a training site in 2000.
It was proposed that these training sessions would provide about 8 to 10 hours of GLP training, with the host institution having latitude in scheduling and procuring the professional GLP personnel to provide the training.
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