Selecting a clinical trial service partner is an important decision. Whether you’re working with a vendor for the first time or moving to a new provider, being prepared from the outset can help avoid unnecessary delays and keep your study on track.
Often, the preparation required to initiate a clinical project is overlooked, resulting in missing information, unclear requirements, or incomplete documentation, which can slow project start-up and lead to changes further down the line.
1. Sharing What Information You Have
A vendor benefits from having as much information as possible at the earliest stage, but you may not have all the details finalised. Sharing what you do know, including what you want to achieve, your target timelines, and any potential alternative strategies, allows the vendor to develop a realistic proposal and timeline, while identifying any information or decisions that may be needed along the way. The earlier this information is shared, the sooner a realistic approach, proposal, and timeline can be established, helping to minimise additional questions, revisions, and potential delays to project kick-off.
Knowing the supply chain of your product, understanding volumes available and any storage or manufacturing constraints helps your vendor plan effectively. Uncertainty around product supply can impact packaging, labelling and distribution timelines.
Clinical trial packaging and labelling is rarely straightforward, particularly for global studies. Country-specific requirements, translations, and study design all need to be considered early to avoid changes later in the project.
We hire the most experienced project managers at RxSource. They have, on average, 9 years of industry experience, providing sponsors with the highest level of support required.
Your documentation doesn’t have to be perfect, but having the key documents available helps your clinical supply partner understand the project, identify any risks, and build a realistic plan.
Cost is always an important factor, but it shouldn’t be the only one. A vendor who communicates well, understands your study, and manages your project proactively can save time and reduce issues throughout the trial.
What Should You Look for in a Clinical Supply Partner?
Technical capability is important, but it’s only part of the picture. A good clinical trial services partner should work with you to set up an optimal supply strategy, solve problems, communicate clearly, and keep your project on time and on budget.
When comparing vendors, consider questions such as:
The answers to these questions can tell you just as much as their service offering.
You Don’t Need Everything Finalised
One of the biggest misconceptions is that every detail has to be in place before you contact a clinical trial services partner. In reality, an experienced partner should help you understand what’s needed, highlight any gaps, and guide you through the process.
How RxSource Can Help
At RxSource Clinical Services, we provide our sponsors with support from the moment we are contacted about an opportunity. Our team takes pride in establishing close relationships with our customers to ensure satisfaction along every step of the journey.
The positive relationships we build with our customers are a big part of how we evaluate our performance, and we’re proud that customers consistently rate RxSource 9 out of 10 for our communication, flexibility, and ability to deliver on our commitments.
If you’re planning an upcoming study and would like to discuss your clinical supply requirements, we’d be happy to help.
Last quarter alone, we were able to positively impact the lives of 44,500 patients. Our goal is to improve the lives of 10 million patients in 10 years. Contact us today to learn more about how we can work together to make a meaningful impact.
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