Why volunteer for clinical trials?
When taking any form of medication have you ever wondered how it is developed and tested? This information is needed to help obtain the correct dosage, the safety of the drugs, and how long a drug may remain in the body. New treatments are continually being developed for the treatment of disease. However, it is a complex process with many stages of development before a new medicine can be used to treat patients.
A promising new drug must be extensively investigated before it is thought to be safe to be given to humans. It is then tested in healthy volunteers so that certain properties of the drug can be determined. During any drug trial volunteers safety and good clinical practice are our primary concern. Volunteers are seen by one of our medical doctors to check they are suitable for the trial and the research trial will have full approval from an Independent Research Ethics committee. Healthy volunteers and patients play an essential part in the development of new drugs, treatments, assessing products and helping to test new and existing medicines to combat disease .
Is there payment for volunteering?
The majority of trials involve short visits to the unit however some may require a stay in the unit of several days. In either case volunteers will be paid in the region of £100 to £3000 for their time depending on the specifications and duration of the trial. They will also be re-imbursed for travel expenses.
Is it safe to volunteer?
The trials are conducted under strict medical supervision in our Clinical Research Unit. An Independent Ethical Research Committee reviews each trial to ensure that the highest possible safety standards are maintained to protect the rights, safety and well being of our volunteers.
The qualified staff include: full-time medical doctors, experienced registered nurses and technicians, recruitment team and administrative staff.
What happens and what is required?
A medical examination is required to check that volunteers are suitable and in good health before entering a trial. This might include a blood and urine sample, height, weight, an ECG to monitor heart and blood pressure. Volunteers will be tested for recreational drugs. This is an additional safety measure to detect any illegal drug substance, which may react with the medicines on trial. A full explanation of the study will be given by one of the doctors and volunteers will be asked to sign a consent form indicating that they understand the nature of the trial and are willing to take part. Volunteers are free to withdraw from a trial at any time without detriment to their medical care; they will be paid (pro-rated) for the time spent.
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