Implementation of a Medication and Supply Inventory and Resupply Process - Increasing the Efficiency of the Tracking and Distribution of Supplies in Clinical Trials
17/05/2015
Conference Paper
Authors:
Wright, M.;
Lindblad, R.;
Jelstrom, E.;
King, D.;
Blumberg, D.;
Yohannes, P.;
Yesko, L.;
Campanella, M.;
Saunders, C.A.
Secondary:
Society for Clinical Trials (SCT) 36th Annual Meeting (2015)
Location: Arlington, VA
URL:
http://www.sctweb.org/public/meetings/2015/home.cfm
Abstract:
Ensuring that clinical sites are adequately equipped with necessary study supplies is important to the success of any clinical trial. One challenge that CROs face is creating an efficient way to maintain appropriate inventories while avoiding waste related to expiration of materials or excess supply at trial’s end. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Clinical Coordinating Center (CCC) and Data and Statistics Center (DSC) developed a centralized process to track site inventory levels and the distribution of supplies on a weekly basis, helping to maximize use of study materials while reducing waste. The CCC and DSC created a Medication and Supply Inventory Form in an electronic data capture (EDC) system which includes each medication and supply item necessary for trial conduct. This form allows site staff to enter inventory levels and applicable expiration dates on a weekly basis for each item in use. An automatic e-mail notification is sent to designated site staff, the CCC and DSC reminding them to submit inventory levels if not submitted by the due date. Data from this form are extracted into an inventory report, allowing CCC staff to compare current and historical inventory levels for each site. Additionally, this report highlights any materials nearing expiration, allowing the CCC staff to plan accordingly. Any items at or below a pre-determined threshold are automatically populated into a reorder report, which includes predetermined reorder amounts, (easily adjustable based on individual site activity) and is used to generate vendor orders. This process, which has been implemented across 6 studies, has helped to maximize the use of study materials by enabling the CCC better control of inventory levels and increasing standardization across sites and studies, as well as decreasing cost and improving efficiency through a reduction in the amount of expedited or emergency orders.
