A pharmacist and head of the quality system, she is the person who ensures compliance with standards at the first GDP-certified warehouse in San Marino. Her career path, the daily work behind the scenes, and her ties to research.
Behind every medicine that reaches a clinic or hospital in the same condition it left the manufacturer, there is someone guaranteeing its quality.
At Pharma Titano, the San Marino-based company led by Sole Director Emanuele Tinazzi, that person is Dr Clara Rosa: Technical Director and pharmacist, responsible for quality and safety across the entire supply chain, and one of the key figures who helped the company become the first entity in the Republic of San Marino to achieve GDP certification.
We interviewed her to understand what it really means, day after day, to guarantee the quality of a medicine.
Let’s start with you. What has your career path been like?
«I hold a single-cycle degree in Pharmacy, which I have complemented over time with several specializations: a specialization in dermo-cosmetics and advanced aesthetic medicine, a second-level master’s degree in nutrition, a certification as a sports technician and personal trainer, as well as an international IELTS certification in English.
I am also completing a master’s degree in Hospital General Management and am about to begin a program on the application of artificial intelligence to business, in collaboration with CNA Forlì and Bologna Business School.
Professionally, I worked as a pharmacist, then as deputy director, project manager and production coordinator at a supplements and cosmetics company. These experiences gave me a broad view of the healthcare sector, which is exactly what a role like this requires.»
What does your work as Technical Director actually involve?
«Everything related to quality and compliance in pharmaceutical distribution. I coordinate the warehouse, manage non-conformities and emergencies, and oversee staff training as well as the qualification of clients and suppliers. My job is to ensure that every activity meets GDP standards and that the quality system works properly: it’s a very hands-on role, but also a strategic one.»
Pharma Titano is the first GDP-certified warehouse in San Marino. What does that mean?
«GDP stands for Good Distribution Practice, the international standards governing pharmaceutical distribution. In practice, it functions as a genuine set of regulations, built on three pillars: guaranteeing the quality of the medicine, its correct distribution, and its preservation during storage and transport, with every parameter affecting quality being recorded.
In San Marino, which is outside the European Union, companies turn to private bodies recognized across Europe: we chose RINA. The certification is renewed every year through an audit, and it’s a certificate that must be kept alive every single day, like a flame that must never go out.»
What does it mean, in practice, to maintain these standards every day?
«Order and consistency — in pharmaceuticals, these are everything.
The warehouse is protected by an alarm system, video surveillance, and temperature and humidity sensors, both in the storage areas and in the refrigerators.
We carry out self-inspections every three months and manage stock levels and expiry dates through a dedicated software system. Every import and export is photographed, certified, scanned and tracked; every box is checked and every non-conformity is recorded.
That’s how excellence is achieved.»
Pharma Titano entrusts young professionals with positions of responsibility. How important is that?
«It matters a great deal.
The owner, Emanuele Tinazzi, chose to invest in young talent by giving them real responsibilities: I’m 31, and our Export Manager is only a little over thirty.
Age alone isn’t enough — preparation is what counts, and the company places great emphasis on continuous training.
Working alongside us are more experienced figures who provide continuity: it’s this balance between experience and new skills that allows us to innovate.»
How important is the relationship with research and academia?
«Extremely important.
We collaborate with the University of Bologna, and I also serve as a university tutor.
I recently completed a scientific publication on the application of GDP standards in the Republic of San Marino — a project I care about deeply, since we were the first San Marino company to obtain this certification. The research will be presented at the AFI Symposium in Rimini.
We believe innovation truly emerges from the meeting point of business, academia and research.»
In your view, what is Pharma Titano’s mission?
«To meet real, concrete needs. When a medicine is in short supply, behind that shortage there is almost always a person waiting for treatment: finding a solution means responding to a genuine need. That’s the thread that ties together everything we do, with transparency as our guiding principle — toward patients and toward the healthcare facilities we work with alike.»
Dr Clara Rosa, Technical Director at Pharma Titano
