Have you ever heard an ad asking you to apply to be a part of a research study? If so, you might have wondered what the process is like. We got the insider scoop from one of the local research clinics.
Dr. Matthew Johnston and Stephanie Asman from PRA Health Sciences shared important information with us.
Clinical research is part of bringing a new medication through the FDA approval process so the medication can be used to treat patients. It all starts with healthy volunteers to help determine the safety and pharmacokinetic profile of the medication in people.
PRA Health Sciences utilizes healthy volunteers, people who are 18-55 years old. But, after the holidays they'll be screening and enrolling healthy elderly subjects 65 to 80 for a couple of new studies as well.
If you're interested in becoming a healthy volunteer, call one of PRA Health Sciences' recruiters. They'll tell you what studies are open and they'll ask your medical history, medications, vitamins, etc that you might be taking. If it appears that you could qualify to participate then the volunteer will be scheduled for a screening appointment.
When a volunteer comes to the clinic to screen for a study, they go through a process called Informed Consent. This form outlines everything that is known about the medication, it discusses all the procedures and timeline of the study, reviews potential side effects and tells the volunteer about their rights and obligations.
Health assessments will be done like blood draws, an EKG, a physical, blood pressure and pulse will be collected. Essentially, a screening visit is a very thorough medical exam. These results are all reviewed by the medical teams to determine if the volunteer meets all of the requirements to participate.
As a volunteer, you`ll have access to an expert medical team that carefully monitors your overall health during your participation in the study. Volunteers are compensated for their time and travel when they are actively enrolled in a research trial.
If you'd like more information, get in touch with PRA by calling 801-872-7672 or by visiting: www.PRAstudies.com.
