Pharmacist involvement in Norwegian clinical drug trials: a questionnaire study

In order to survey the involvement of pharmacists in clinical drug trials (CDTs) in Norway, a questionnaire was submitted to all community pharmacies (288), pharmacy departments in hospitals (98), and pharmaceutical companies (52). The response rate was 81, 73, and 64 percent, respectively. Community pharmacies had minimal involvement, while 34 percent of the pharmacy departments had taken part in one or more CDTs annually 1980-1982. During the same three-year period, 393 trials had been started by the responding companies. Within the pharmaceutical industry 41 percent of the CDT staff were pharmacists. Pharmacists in 48 percent of community pharmacies and 96 percent of pharmacy departments in hospitals considered CDTs a pharmaceutical task. However, none of the community pharmacists and less than half of the hospital pharmacists said they had knowledge of CDT methodology. We recommend that pharmacists should be more extensively engaged in CDTs. Their participation should not be limited to traditional pharmaceutical work, but should include CDT planning and monitoring. This in turn requires education in CDT methodology, which should be included in the compulsary pharmaceutical curriculum.