Demonstrating IDS Value With Time-Based Metrics

By Rachael Aletti, Pharm.D.

As clinical trials grow more complex, Investigational Drug Services (IDS) teams play an increasingly critical role in managing investigational products (IP), ensuring protocol compliance, supporting patient safety, and enabling successful trial execution. Yet traditional volume-based metrics often fail to capture the true scope of IDS contributions. This white paper explores how time-based metrics provide a more accurate view of workload, study complexity, and operational value. By measuring the time required for activities such as protocol startup, IP management, dispensing, monitoring visits, and clinical interventions, IDS teams can better demonstrate their impact, optimize resource allocation, justify staffing and budgets, and improve operational efficiency. Examine practical approaches to implementing workload tracking, including automated solutions that reduce administrative burden while providing actionable insights for benchmarking and continuous improvement.