Abstract

PENA AMADOR, Marcos Daniel et al. Strategy for the preparation of health units for good clinical practices. Rev Cubana Invest Bioméd [online]. 2013, vol.32, n.2, pp. 196-212. ISSN 0864-0300.

Background: The global regulatory environment is increasingly demanding to establish, implement, and maintain the compliance with Good Clinical Practices (GCP). In Cuba, The National Coordinating Center for Clinical Trials (CENCEC) was created as a necessary response derived from the increasing development of the national pharmaceutical and biotechnological industry. One of the missions of the CENCEC is to prepare selected clinical units/sites that conduct clinical research for a further certification in GCP by the national regulatory authority in order to guarantee the quality that corresponds to the process of clinical research, resulting in a careful attention and protection of the patient under study. Objective: To describe the strategy of the CENCEC for the preparation of good clinical practices in the selected clinical sites of the National Health System (SNS) that participate in clinical trials. Methods: More than 250 regulatory documents issued by Europe, the United States, Japan and the Nordic countries, related to ethical and practical aspects for the implementation of good clinical practices, were reviewed. A strategy for the preparation of clinical sites in GCP was conceived in 4 stages: 1) technical design of the process and document organization, 2) selection of the clinical sites, 3) diagnosis and pre-intervention evaluation, and 4) preparation for certification. Results: 80 clinical sites that conduct clinical trials in Cuba were identified, of which 11 were selected for the implementation of the strategy. A manual for the preparation of the sites in GCP with aspects of great impact in compliance with GCP was created. 40 visits were made to the selected clinical sites, 12 of them were diagnostic, 24 were follow-up visits, 1 was made for the inclusion of new sites, and 3 for the statement "Ready for Certification". 3 clinical sites of the 11 included in the strategy were certified. Conclusions: CENCEC strategy paved the methodological ways and the procedures for the compliance with good clinical practices in the clinical sites of the National Health System that participate in the clinical trials. The level of compliance with GCP increased in the 11 sites selected for the implementation of the strategy, achieving certification in 3 of them.

Keywords : clinical trials (CT); Good Clinical Practices (GCP); clinical sites; requirements; standards; Drug Regulatory Agencies (DRA); certification; accreditation; harmonization; standard operating procedures (SOP).

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