association for human pharmacology in the pharmaceutical industry

The Association for Human Pharmacology in the Pharmaceutical Industry (AHPPI) was founded in 1988. Their members include physicians, nurses, clinical scientists, project managers and various types of support staff – who work for organisations, such as pharmaceutical companies and contract research organisations (CRO), involved in the early development of new medicines. Most of the big pharmaceutical companies and CROs in the UK are represented among the membership. The purpose of the AHPPI is to provide a forum for continuing education in clinical pharmacology – the discipline that underpins early development of new medicines – and in the regulatory aspects of early development of new medicines. They hold symposia with invited speakers, at least once per year. Membership of the AHPPI is a mere £35 per year and attendance at symposia will often be at a discounted rate for members. They share some of their symposia with the Clinical Section of the British Pharmacological Society, an organisation whose members are mostly from university departments of clinical pharmacology. The Members who all are involved with in this association should have experience in Clinical Pharmacology or Early Phase Research. Most of the big pharmaceutical companies and CRO in the UK are represented among the membership. The AHPPI Surveyed 29UK phase 1 units that did trials of IMP for the pharmaceutical industry during 1999 and 2000. The total number of trilas per year was just over 600.82% were done by CRO, 17% by pharmaceutical companies with their own phase 1 units, and 1% by academic department that provides a service          to the pharmaceutical industry.

Since the AHPPI survey, the academic departments have stopped their service and two of the pharmaceutical companies have closed their phase 1 units. So, probably 90% commercials phase 1 trials in the UK are now done by CRO. Some of the CRO are based  in or close to NHS hospitals, for safety reasons.            

 The members are characterized by a commitment to quality and to the communities they serve, and have stronger relationships between the plans and providers than is the case in many other health plans or insurers. None of the members are investor-owned. ACHP’s mission is to promote the highest standards of health care quality and health improvement through collaborative learning, innovation and advocacy. ACHP and its members seek to transform health care so that it is safe, effective, patient-centered, timely, efficient and equitable.