Patient Recruitment in Clinical Trials

Richmond Pharmacology is one of the largest European sources of Japanese Bridging studies and has been generating Japanese studies for over 10 years. Their excellent ability to enlist volunteers at short notice is that well known that several pharmaceutical companies have listed them as their Preferred Provider for the management of Japanese studies.

‘To generate awareness and interest in our trials amongst the Japanese community, we deliver sustained and targeted marketing campaigns’, a company spokesperson stated. ‘Our approach has been very successful to date as the marketing messages and advertising designs are constantly monitored to ensure they are tailored to the tastes of our Japanese student target population’.

The common criteria used to complete this study included smokers and non-smokers, male and female and age categories of 20-30 and 31-40 years of age. Two additional criteria were added to this study which included a magnetic resonance image (MRI) and a baseline Positron Emission Tomography (PET).

To reduce language barriers and ensure that all volunteers completed their part of the study, a Japanese volunteer was enlisted to escort all the Japanese and Caucasian volunteers to the scan centre.  All MRI appointments allocated to a volunteer were then met on time.

Volunteers are also well looked after while they wait for their appointment. Magazines and newspapers are placed in waiting areas and an in-house kitchen is usually available to provide sandwiches and drinks for hungry volunteers.

‘Once again the can do attitude and the understanding that this goal had to be achieved ensured that the team did actually work as a team’, a company spokesperson said. ‘Every member of staff involved in the study had a sense of ownership of the study; due to their involvement in this study from the early planning stages’.

‘This sense of ownership coupled with the can do attitude and flexibility of our staff is vital to our continued success’.

Volunteers love taking part in the clinical studies conducted by Richmond Pharmacology so much that they become disappointed if they can’t be included in certain studies and are regularly allocated to other studies already taking place.

‘With everyone pulling together it ran very smoothly, to the satisfaction of all involved, but especially to the onsite Independent Monitors working on behalf of the sponsor company’, a company spokesperson stated.

‘The effect of our work on the general population made this a very satisfying challenge for all concerned’.

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