Are you someone who is interested in making new discoveries? Do you like science experiments but also like managing different things? Is being highly organized your daily mantra? Then, maybe a career in clinical research would be a good option to consider.
Clinical research is a flourishing field that offers many many exciting prospects for young and aspiring researchers. The scientific community is preparing to take another step forward in its development, resulting in fresh discoveries.
There are thousands of new medicines developed each year by many reputed pharmaceutical companies who want their medicines to be launched in the market for which it has to go through rigorous trials and experiments.
Many severe diseases still have no medical cure, and those who are afflicted have no hope of survival. A good healthcare system provides them not just hope, but also the courage to fight back.
Who Is A CRA?
A CRA is a certified clinical research professional who is responsible for the management of clinical trials and monitoring each process. Their main job is to supervise that all the processes and procedures are conducted under the guidelines of ICH-GCP protocols.
The trials must follow the etiquettes set by International and national committees for efficient drug development. Whether it’s a mid-sized CRO, a huge pharmaceutical business, or a fledgling research organization, all of them require a CRA to ensure that trials go well.
How To Be A CRA?
The requirements for becoming a CRA are that you have a background in biological sciences and have an understanding of many parts of research. In addition, the candidate should have a clinical research certification or a post-graduate diploma in clinical research.
This qualification is enough to land an entry-level job in the clinical research industry.
Roles And Responsibilities Of A CRA
Most of the responsibilities for smooth conduction of the trials are on the Clinical Research Associate some of which are mentioned below :
- Choosing the appropriate trial location with all of the necessary amenities.
- Getting all of the paperwork and medical protocols in order.
- Maintaining all of the necessary data management tools in order to acquire accurate data.
- Providing training to important personnel like the doctor, nurses, and PI on the established processes.
- Keeping the ethics of treatments, maintaining the confidentiality of all documents created, precise data gathering and documentation, and allocating suitable storage and dispensing facilities for drugs are all aspects of the trials that must be monitored.
- Looking after solutions to facilitate remote monitoring and conduction of trials with site co-operation.
Career & Scope For CRA In 2022
Clinical research has grown significantly in the recent decade and is expected to rise at a rate of 9% per year in the future.
This increase in the field and technology will create a lot of great opportunities for job seekers in the clinical research domain.
Because the clinical research associate is responsible for every aspect of a study, demand for the position will rise as the number of trials grows.
Given the affordable labor cost and broad patient pool, several multinational pharmaceutical companies are investing in India’s clinical research industry.
All these factors make clinical research a growing and recession-proof industry with lots of opportunities for budding talent.
Conclusion:
We have gone through all the key aspects of how you can start and scale your career as a CRA. We also discussed the demand and uplifting of the clinical research industry and how it can be a beneficial factor for upcoming researchers. Clinical research has a lot to offer as a career option for students as well as sustaining the efficacy of the healthcare specialty by developing tried-and-true drugs.
