It costs money to recruit staff and keep them permanently. It costs a LOT of money to set up a pharmacovigilance system. For example a full working drug safety database on its own can cost in excess of £200,000 before the staff to run it are even notified of vacancies.

2.) PROVIDING FLEXIBILITY

A lot of companies strike a balance between permanent staff and hired hands by bringing in consultants to provide flexibility during periods of higher workloads. This enables them to meet their regulatory requirements while at the same time ensuring that there isn’t an excess of staff during quieter times.

3.) COVERING FOR OTHERS

Sickness, maternity leave and all sorts of other factors can leave temporary gaps in the workforce. Just because employees are not present doesn’t mean the work goes away and inevitably it may be necessary to bring in temporary cover for absent colleagues.

4.) PROVIDING EXPERTISE

From time to time specific, highly specialized, expensive skills are required to carry out pharmacovigilance effectively. Those who can do the work may then not be needed for a period of time before they are next required, if they are required at all. Rather than having pharmacovigilance experts sitting around twiddling their thumbs and drawing a wage, it can make a lot more sense to temporarily draft in help when needed in order to gain their support and expertise that is not currently available in-house.

Almost all of the functions and work of a pharmacovigilance department can be outsourced effectively. This includes both the work for clinical trials and post-marketing spontaneous adverse event reporting.