Sharp introduces clinical trial IMS
Sharp’s Clinventory inventory management system (IMS) is designed to give sponsors full visibility of stock levels at their investigator sites, as well as tracking of product throughout the supply chain. and tracking product through the supply chain. According to the company, the technology serves to ensure that sponsors enjoy a comprehensive, real-time view of their trials.
Rich Scheuermann, account executive with Sharp’s Interactive Response Technology (IRT) division, told Outsourcing-Pharma that the advanced IMS offers sponsors greater control and efficiency than previous systems.
“A lot of times we are seeing that clients are still using a manual process or utilizing their inventory management within their IRT solution,” he told us. “With a manual system, we see these challenges compared to what an electronic IMS can offer.”
For example, Scheuermann explained, with a manual system the site user or contract research organization (CRO) might request shipment through an approved form that gets emailed to the logistics head, but is unable to then view shipment requests. By contrast, he said, the Clinventory IMS enables users to directly send the shipment to request to distribution processing, enabling reporting, notification and control of requests.
Additionally, the IMS can offer greater monitoring and control of temperature-sensitive inventory. For example, while a manual system might involve sending temperature to clients via email, the Clinventory system can automate temperature monitoring, reporting and notifications.
“With using the inventory management within an IRT, a lot of times clients are paying the cost of an entire IRT but may not need to use it for randomization or subject data,” Scheuermann added. “They are overpaying and underutilizing their resources.”
Sascha Sonnenberg, global head of business development at Sharp Clinical said the company is keen on introducing technologies that enable clients to introduce efficiency and reduce trial costs.
“Clinventory has been designed specifically with those smaller-volume, early stage or open label clinical trials in mind, where a larger, more expensive inventory system might offer an array of functionality that is surplus to needs,” she said.
Clinventory IMS features and capabilities include on-demand study supply information, eliminated need for manual processes for dispatches and returns, customizable and updatable automatic restocking, temperature excursion tracking and ability to create manual shipment requests in emergencies.
