Standard Operating Procedure
Title: Management of Clinical Trial Drug Supplies
1. Purpose
2. Responsibilities
3. Procedure
a) Records
b) Storage of clinical trial supplies
c) Randomisation procedures and unbinding
1. Purpose
1.1 The purpose of this Standard Operating Procedure is to describe the
procedure for documenting the receipt of
clinical trial drug supplies, the
dispensing,
use and accountability of the supplies and the return of supplies to the sponsor company. It also
describes the storage of clinical trial drug supplies and the procedure for
managing randomisation codes.
1.2 These procedures must be followed to ensure with ICH-GCP guidelines.
2. Responsibilities
It is the
responsibility of the investigator to oversee all aspects of the management of
clinical trial supplies at the site. Certain aspects may be delegated to
appropriately trained co-investigator or research nurse.
A delegation
of trial related duties form needs to be completed.
3. Procedure
3.1 Receipt of clinical drug supplies
Immediately
upon receipt, supplies must be checked against any shipment form to ensure what
has been received corresponds with
what has been sent. The following checks should be made:
-
Ensure supplies are correctly
addressed
-
Ensure all packaging intact
-
Ensure that the quantity,
batch/serial numbers, correspond with shipment form.
The person
who received the supplies should sign the shipment form. The date the supplies
were received and the date they were checked should be on the form. One copy of
the appropriate form should be retained in the site file and another copy
returned to the sponsor as according to their instructions.
3.2
Patient use of
clinical trial drug supplies
The
investigator or designee should explain the correct use and storage of the drug
supply to each patient at the start of the trial and should check, at intervals
appropriate to the trial, that each patient is following the instructions
properly.
The patients
should be instructed to return all unused supplies including empty containers
at each visit. The supplies should be reconciled against the supplies dispensed
to the patient and the supplies used by the patient, according to the sponsors
requirements.
The sponsor
company will provide a drug dispensing log and this should be completed by the
investigator or designee for each patient at each time supplies are dispensed
or returned. Any discrepancies must be accounted for and commented upon.
3.3
Return or
destruction of clinical trial drug supplies
At the end of the study overall reconciliation of supplies must take place. Any discrepancies should be reported to the sponsor company. Once all supplies have been accounted for they should be to the sponsor company according to their instruction. A receipt slip must be obtained from the monitor at the time the supplies are removed from site.
3.4
Re-allocation
of clinical trial drug supplies
Clinical trial supplies must not be re-allocated or transferred to another site unless in exceptional circumstances. In these circumstances this should only occur following discussion and agreement with the sponsor company and in accordance with their SOP’s. All documentation concerning re-allocation of supplies must be retained in the site file.
3.5
Storage of
clinical trial drug supplies
Immediately after checking the supplies received at site they should be stored in appropriate conditions as specified by the sponsor.
The drug
storage area should be secure. It should be locked where appropriate and access
to the supplies limited where possible to investigators and research nurse.
The
temperature of the storage area should be monitored weekly and a temperature
log maintained.
3.6 Randomisation procedures and unblinding
The
randomisation procedures as specified in the clinical trial protocol should be
followed at all times.
The code
breaks should only be revealed if:
-
Treatment of an adverse event is dependant
upon knowledge of the drug administered
-
The study must be terminated for
safety reasons
-
A third party requires the
information (e.g. coroner)
The patient’s
welfare must always take priority over any other consideration in determining
when a code break should be revealed. Except in the case of an emergency, the
code break should only be revealed with the agreement of the sponsor company.
If the code
break envelope has been opened; it should be re-sealed dated and signed by the
opener. The reason for revealing the code must be written on the envelope and a
note made in the site file. Any accidental or non-accidental opening of a code
break envelope must be reported to the sponsor company.
All code
break envelopes must be returned unopened (unless they have been opened for any
of the above reasons) to the sponsor
the end of the study.