Overview
Initiative type
Model of Care
Status
Deliver
Published
June 2026
Summary
Supporting workforce development to build sustainable clinical trial pharmacy services across regional, rural, and remote Queensland.
Dates: October 2024 - ongoing
Implementation sites: Queensland statewide
This project was presented as a Poster at CEQ Showcase 2026 (PDF 482KB).
Aim
To strengthen pharmacy capability across regional, rural, and remote Queensland to improve access to clinical trials (including teletrials) involving Investigational Product across Queensland.
Outcomes
- the opening of clinical trials involving Investigational Product in all Hospital and Health Services across Queensland Health
- the first clinical trial involving Investigational Product in a very remote (MM7) locality
- the establishment of clinical trial pharmacy services at a regional hospital to support its expanding clinical trial unit
- tailored assistance was provided to sites with newly established roles, sole clinical trials pharmacists, those managing clinical trials without dedicated FTE and rural and remote sites receiving in already dispensed IP as part of a Teletrial Cluster.
Background
Clinical trial pharmacy services play a critical role in ensuring the safe, ethical, and compliant management of Investigational Product. However, initial statewide scoping identified significant disparities in clinical trial pharmacy capacity across Queensland Health. Expertise and workforce were concentrated in metropolitan and large regional centres, while smaller regional, rural, and remote areas faced substantial gaps, including limited FTE allocation, lack of established governance processes, and scarce access to training or mentoring.
These disparities created risks for the delivery of high-quality clinical trial services, particularly for sites participating as Primary or Satellite Sites within Teletrial Clusters. Without sufficient Investigational Product management capability, sites risked being unable to participate in trials, limiting local patient access to clinical research and innovation.
Methods
To support clinical excellence and build sustainable clinical trial pharmacy capacity across Queensland, a statewide clinical trial pharmacist position was introduced to the Queensland Regional Clinical Trial Coordinating Centre in October 2024. This initiative aimed to support regional, rural, and remote health services in delivering high-quality, safe, and efficient Investigational Product services, including as Primary and Satellite Sites within a Teletrial Cluster.
Initial scoping identified a concentration of workforce and clinical trial pharmacy expertise in metropolitan and larger regional centres, with significant gaps in smaller regional, rural, and remote areas. A comprehensive mapping process was undertaken to pinpoint these disparities and guide targeted support
Relationships were established across all Hospital and Health Services, and support was provided based on local needs. This included education to many Pharmacy Departments surrounding the Australian Teletrial Program and the QRCCC, working through logistics and feasibility for individual trials, providing guidance of the development of clinical trials pharmacy services and providing ad-hoc mentoring and support.
In-person support was provided as required, including for the first clinical trial patient dispensing for a regional health service expanding into clinical trials pharmacy to support.
Discussion
By embedding professional standards for clinical trials and fostering leadership across diverse settings, this model demonstrates an effective approach to moving forward in clinical trial workforce development and facilitating access to clinical trials involving Investigational Product across all of Queensland.
Key contact
Kara Milne
Pharmacist
Queensland Regional Clinical Trial Coordinating Centre
Department of Health
Email: kara.milne@health.qld.gov.au