mdgroup launches third fully compliant medical distribution centre in Europe

Amsterdam logistics centre Horreum strengthens links in the clinical trial supply chain, streamlines hybrid and DCT conduct, and creates remarkable patient experiences

BRACKNELL, England, Feb. 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- mdgroup, a leading global MedTech and patient health services company pioneering a patient-first approach to clinical research, has today opened its latest medical distribution centre in Amsterdam. One of three hubs worldwide, mdgroup' s Horreum distribution centre - named after the Latin horrea or storage warehouses -   provides sponsors across Europe with clinical trial supply procurement, storage, logistics, and delivery. Horreum integrates seamlessly with mdgroup's range of specialist clinical services, including mobilehealth home health services and seacolehealth healthcare professional recruitment. This integrated approach to hybrid and decentralised clinical trials (DCT) conduct significantly reduces administrative burden on sites and sponsors, while protecting data quality, participant safety, and regulatory compliance.

One of the biggest challenges facing sponsors hoping to embrace the benefits of hybrid and DCTs is managing logistics and distribution. The model relies on having the right people with the right equipment in the right place at the right time. Failure on any of these elements threatens data quality, patient safety, and regulatory compliance.

Where a range of companies are responsible for fulfilling separate functions, such as home health, central laboratory processing, equipment supplies or delivery, this patchwork of moving parts for sponsors to monitor and manage can create not only huge administrative burden, but also potential errors, compromising the trial outcome.

Horreum provides an integrated, carefully project-managed approach to home health and distribution. mdgroup specialist teams link the dots between stakeholders by bringing study-critical elements in-house to secure the critical clinical supply chain management. This is supported and integrated seamlessly with mdgroup's seacolehealth and mobileheath, which ensures specialist teams are on the ground with everything they need to do their job, at the time they need it.

The horreum network services include:

• clinical trial consumables and equipment procurement, storage, and distribution, to ensure all home health staff have the consumables and tools they need for each visit  
• clinical trial supplies logistics management, including medical tool calibration and equipment cleaning, disposal, and quarantining 
• laboratory kit assembly, storage, and management
• patient pack printing and delivery

Tarquin Scadding-Hunt, mdgroup CEO, said: "Horreum ensures seamless service and guarantees logistical support between patients, home health, sites, equipment suppliers, central laboratories, and couriers. It connects the entire logistical network, removing the safety, data quality, and compliance challenges that can exist between providers, and eradicating the huge administrative burden on sponsors. For example, when the protocol calls for a patient welcome pack to be printed and delivered before day one, and a blood pressure reading to be taken on day five, mdgroup can deliver on all fronts, from a single brief. We work with couriers who are well versed in the rules and regulations of clinical trials and are dedicated to our mission of crating remarkable experiences for our patients. When there's a last-minute change of plan, open communication channels within our departments allow us to adapt quickly."

The opening of mdgroup's Amsterdam Horreum medical distribution centre is the third hub in the global Horreum network, following the opening of facilities in both Durham, North Carolina, USA, and Bracknell, Berkshire, UK, since 2020.

For more information, visit: https://mdgroup.com/what-we-do/horreum-clinical-equipment-logistics/

About mdgroup

mdgroup is a global digital and patient health services company pioneering a patient-first approach to clinical research. By combining clinical trial and patient support expertise with cutting edge technologies they support patients throughout the entire clinical journey. Whether that is facilitating clinical trial participation within patient homes, supporting travel safely to and from study sites, or developing a hybrid model – mdgroup go above and beyond to support patients in the way that works best for them and facilitates the protocol design that best meets patients' needs.

Find out more at mdgroup.com