Today’s pharmacy business environment involves pressures to reduce cost while at the same time making improvements in quality.  Outsourcing is often an attractive cost reduction option.  In many cases it also allows organizations to focus their core activities creating competitive advantage.  However, there are many factors to consider when deciding to outsource.   Successful outsourcing operations involve a combination of careful supplier selection, carefully selected and measurable performance standards, and a commitment to use internal resources to manage the supplier relationship. 

Preparation of sterile products, for example, is a complex and difficult process to control.  Few state boards   monitor the ongoing quality of sterile-product preparations.  Often, pharmacies are permitted to operate in physical plants not suitable for the preparation of sterile products, employ unqualified, and to use inadequate quality assurance methods.

Careful planning ensures that the decision to outsource is a viable long-term solution.  Reversing a bad outsourcing decision places extreme strain on both precious human and financial resources in organizations.  Clinical IQ, LLC has extensive experience with carrying out the due diligence to ensure potential suppliers can perform against requirements consistently, sustainably, and ethically.  What's more, in many cases outsourcing is not the right option.  It is often better to consolidate and/or improve the existing internal infrastructure.  Variables examined in the outsourcing selection process include:

• Product sterility and integrity
• Process controls
• Documentation  practices
• Employee procedures compliance
• Employees preparedness validation
• Quality monitor