CRA, CRC, CPI, and CTI Certification for Clinical Research

Learn more about clinical research certification. Do you know what CRA, CRC, CPI, and CTI stand for? More alphabet soup?

The Association of Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP) was created to house all non-Physician certification programs (CRA, CRC and non-physician Investigator).

The Academy of Pharmaceutical Physicians and Investigators (APPI ) is affiliated with ACRP and is now the administrative entity for the Physician Investigator exam. So, let's take a look at each of these acronyms:

• CRA: Clinical Research Associate
• CRC: Clinical Research Coordinator
• CPI: Clinical Physician Investigator
• CTI: Clinical Trial Investigator

You can learn more about these clinical research certifications by visiting the ACRP website.

Applied Clinical Trials (January 2010)

Interested in a non-clinical career focused on industry-related clinical research? You may want to start reading Applied Clinical Trials. You can view the January 2010 electronic edition by clicking here. This publication is a service of Advanstar Communications.

Advanstar also publishes magazines and websites like:

• Pharmaceutical Executive
• BioPharm International
  
• Pharmaceutical Technology

If you're really serious about a career in clinical trials, then you may want to consider pursuing your CCRA® (Certified Clinical Research Associate), CCRC® (Certified Clinical Research Coordinator), or CPI® (Certified Physician Investigator). These credentials can be achieved through the Association of Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP).

Fundamentals of Clinical Research

The Association of Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP) has a two-day course coming up. It's called: Fundamentals of Clinical Research

Sept. 10-11, 2009, Houston, TX
Oct. 15-16, 2009, Alexandria, VA

Fundamentals of Clinical Research is designed for those who aspire to the following roles: clinical research professionals managing studies at clinical research sites or monitoring studies, product managers, clinical investigators, institutional review board members, clinical pharmacologists, and research pharmacists.

Here are the learning objectives (you can receive continuing education credits):

* Discuss the main historical events which led to the increasing regulation of the development of medicinal products, devices and biologics
* Explain the differences in the development processes for medicinal products, devices and biologics
* Identify the roles and responsibilities of clinical research professionals in the overall process of conducting a clinical trial and how each professional contributes to that process
* Apply the principles of Good Clinical Practice (GCP) in their daily functions
* Identify the main regulations which govern the practice of clinical research
* Observe the additional rules applicable to research funded by the Federal government and bodies like the NCI and NIH
* Identify ethical issues involved with conducting clinical research
* Identify the protections given to human subjects in research
* Describe the process of obtaining informed consent from human subjects
* Describe the respective roles and responsibilities of clinical research professionals notably Clinical Research Coordinators (CRCs), and Clinical Research Associates (CRAs)
* Identify and evaluate Unanticipated Problems
* Define the criteria for reporting unanticipated problems and adverse events

If you're interested in pursuing a career in clinical research, then you may want to evaluate your skills and competencies based on the learning objectives listed above. How well can you explain/identify/describe/discuss/etc. each of the points listed above?

For more information about this course, click here.