brat
Junior Member
I'm alive because of needed exp procedures as a child and glad to be healthy.
Posts: 64
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Post by brat on Oct 10, 2019 6:50:16 GMT -5
i havent been there for several years as they banned me hee hee. however, i had no problem with the local bus. of course, wherever you go these days, you must exercise caution. remember that in the last few years, Florida had a shooting at a 7-11 in broad daylight by an old White guy who thought some Black teens were playing their music too loud ( i was actually in the general area at the time) and another in a FL movie theater, by a retired FL police chief no less. whatever the bus issues may be, i find it very difficult to believe that Uber and Lyft will not go there. how well do you know the guy who told you this? he sounds like your average exaggerating lab rat. all the Uber driver has to do is pull up to the entrance and you get in. i have taken Uber and Lyft a zillion times in at least 15 states in some very sketch locations. i have met several persons who will not go to Biotrial in Newark because they are "afraid." i think this just means that they are afraid of Black persons in general and i feel sorry for them. so also just for the record, i went back and forth to BioTrial (Newark NJ) from Penn Station in NYC to Penn Station in Newark and then to BioTrial via light rail (4 stops only). it was a study with 9 returns. and next week i am going to a screening for a vaccine trial in baltimore at Pharmaron. i'll leave from Port Authority in NYC and arrive at the Greyhound station in Baltimore and then take the local bus. i have also done this many times. and i should add that i am a small white female in her 70's. i have traveled all around the US doing studies. the only bad travel experience i have had was when 2 teenaged Hispanic employees at a fast food place in Phoenix got off work and after conversing for a while, offered my elderly male lab rat friend and i a ride as we had missed the local bus. 2 cops pulled the car over for no reason whatsoever except that we "looked suspicious." we all had to stand outside (it was midnight) and wait while they tried to find some reason to arrest us. wherever you go, just exercise a bit of caution and use common sense. we never know where real danger will be and it often seems that it is where we least expect it, Gilroy Garlic Festival shooting being the latest example. i have been to that wonderful festival in years past and it certainly is the last place i would have predicted such a horrible shooting could occur. + I’ve also had a variety of experiences across the spectrum traveling all over the world, most quite positive. Glad you have too. I tell it like it happened. Take what works for you.
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brat
Junior Member
I'm alive because of needed exp procedures as a child and glad to be healthy.
Posts: 64
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Post by brat on Oct 10, 2019 6:46:39 GMT -5
i havent been there for several years as they banned me hee hee. however, i had no problem with the local bus. of course, wherever you go these days, you must exercise caution. remember that in the last few years, Florida had a shooting at a 7-11 in broad daylight by an old White guy who thought some Black teens were playing their music too loud ( i was actually in the general area at the time) and another in a FL movie theater, by a retired FL police chief no less. whatever the bus issues may be, i find it very difficult to believe that Uber and Lyft will not go there. how well do you know the guy who told you this? he sounds like your average exaggerating lab rat. all the Uber driver has to do is pull up to the entrance and you get in. i have taken Uber and Lyft a zillion times in at least 15 states in some very sketch locations. i have met several persons who will not go to Biotrial in Newark because they are "afraid." i think this just means that they are afraid of Black persons in general and i feel sorry for them. so also just for the record, i went back and forth to BioTrial (Newark NJ) from Penn Station in NYC to Penn Station in Newark and then to BioTrial via light rail (4 stops only). it was a study with 9 returns. and next week i am going to a screening for a vaccine trial in baltimore at Pharmaron. i'll leave from Port Authority in NYC and arrive at the Greyhound station in Baltimore and then take the local bus. i have also done this many times. and i should add that i am a small white female in her 70's. i have traveled all around the US doing studies. the only bad travel experience i have had was when 2 teenaged Hispanic employees at a fast food place in Phoenix got off work and after conversing for a while, offered my elderly male lab rat friend and i a ride as we had missed the local bus. 2 cops pulled the car over for no reason whatsoever except that we "looked suspicious." we all had to stand outside (it was midnight) and wait while they tried to find some reason to arrest us. wherever you go, just exercise a bit of caution and use common sense. we never know where real danger will be and it often seems that it is where we least expect it, Gilroy Garlic Festival shooting being the latest example. i have been to that wonderful festival in years past and it certainly is the last place i would have predicted such a horrible shooting could occur. +
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brat
Junior Member
I'm alive because of needed exp procedures as a child and glad to be healthy.
Posts: 64
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Post by brat on Oct 10, 2019 6:41:36 GMT -5
Thx Vaark.
I tell it like I experienced it as a public service, including if I had a good experience. My profile states I’m only alive because I was an unplanned lab rat as a child, and that experience helped many since then.
Our health is our greatest asset (many take for granted) and this line of work is not without risk that we are required to sign off on.
Theres huge money involved for the other players in this game, only if the drug passes, which creates a significant incentive to make it happen...and what we’re paid is just a small fraction.
We deserve to know when WE are being played and when those who fall into the that population of “highly functioning mentally ill” or simply “unethical professional climbers at any cost” end up being study coordinators and others who hold our well being in the palms of their hands.
Abuse is never ok.
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brat
Junior Member
I'm alive because of needed exp procedures as a child and glad to be healthy.
Posts: 64
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Post by brat on Oct 10, 2019 5:56:37 GMT -5
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brat
Junior Member
I'm alive because of needed exp procedures as a child and glad to be healthy.
Posts: 64
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Post by brat on Oct 10, 2019 5:55:04 GMT -5
Seem to be ramping up the scare tactics for some reason. How about some statistics on how many trials go on each year with out any major AEs (including death)? And how do those statistics compare to the odds of death or accident in a automobile or walking in a busy city or getting shot etc etc. I have the feeling our odds are way worse just getting behind the wheel to get to a study. Yes and...big pharma is big business (this is a thread in itself so I’ll pause here...). Truth is, there are a lot of folks who just need the money, think the warnings are overkill, have never had their health seriously compromised as perspective, and we’re all putting ourselves at risk in an age when ethics are questionable at best. I welcome your input and along with others here would love to see the results of your research into the other end of the spectrum shared in this forum... 😎
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brat
Junior Member
I'm alive because of needed exp procedures as a child and glad to be healthy.
Posts: 64
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Post by brat on Sept 10, 2019 13:29:51 GMT -5
PS- they don’t tell you all if the info about the study and you don’t see the paperwork unless you pass the screen...and you are required to sign and pass VCT checks.
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brat
Junior Member
I'm alive because of needed exp procedures as a child and glad to be healthy.
Posts: 64
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Post by brat on Sept 10, 2019 13:26:20 GMT -5
Hey Florida girl...
(I was a Florida girl for a while lol. I get the demographic situation and travel for good prospects as well.)
I did not stay in a hotel in KC, although there are many choices. My flight got me in in time for a 10 am screen and I flew back same day so didn’t need one.
I also screened for a 13k study there. It seemed worth the risk of paying for travel. They are not known for paying screening stipends, so you’re on your own for all expenses to get there and back.
Lenexa is south of KC, and an hour south of KC airport (2 if you hit it during rush hour) and not well located for public transit. I paid $800 for airfare (because there was barely a week’s notice) plus car rental because it was cheaper than Uber or a public transit system that really didn’t fit the logistics of the location. Omaha is much less expensive to fly in and out of and so much better experience in every way, but it’s a 3-4 hour drive. KC airport is an unpleasant dinosaur and car rentals are also more expensive and they won’t take debit cards there even though they will in most other airports now, regardless of your balance or that you have a line of credit...some local ordinance I was told...after arrival...which was quite stressful.
My BP, which was within normal limits before the “new standards” were implemented (coincidentally inspiring a lot more stress and profitable prescription writing for those of us who wouldn’t have qualified for them before) ...was a couple of points over so I was excluded from the study. Even the tech said it was so close it was negligible but the doc nixed it.
Interestingly, they called me a week later and wanted me to come back for a recheck. I told them Id be happy to if they paid my travel lol, so you know how that ended.
I have no comments about the inpatient area, but the screening rooms seemed clean and well kept, in a nice newer corporate building and seemed professionally run with plenty of parking. The reception staff were cordial but not friendly which is fine. You’re on camera the whole time...they’re suspicious of people trying to fake results...and they keep your ID until you’re checked out.
It’s also very cold inside so bring layers and keep that in mind when it’s vitals and blood draw time.
I’m not likely to return. $1k is a big investment for a fail. It was an arduous trip logistically, I didn’t get a great vibe from that first impression, and I’ve learned to trust that.
ASIDE- DO hit Joes Garage before you leave. Some of the best BBQ I’ve had in my entire life...and if you want to bring home a jar of sauce (not available in stores) pack it in your checked luggage because TSA will take it if you try to carry it on....which almost made me cry it was that good.
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brat
Junior Member
I'm alive because of needed exp procedures as a child and glad to be healthy.
Posts: 64
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Post by brat on Sept 8, 2019 15:38:32 GMT -5
I did. New BP perameters excluded me.
Don’t fly into KC. It’s horrible. Omaha is 4 hours away, cheaper, and far better with a rental car.
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brat
Junior Member
I'm alive because of needed exp procedures as a child and glad to be healthy.
Posts: 64
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Post by brat on Sept 7, 2019 21:13:24 GMT -5
I had the same issues with the same Japanese woman in 2018.
I’m a mature, educated person and I’ve worked and trained people in customer service and been a paralegal. I’ve seen a lot and I know how to behave with difficult people, and when it enters the realm of mental illness, it’s time to step back or call security.
I do a reasonably safe high paying study once every couple of years to fund special projects.
I screened for a study at Parexel in Baltimore in March 2018, and another in Glendale in May.
Baltimore Staff didn’t seem very happy to be there. It went fine, but they changed the dates a couple of times so it didn’t work for me.
The May experience in Glendale was awful, included the same coordinator who inspired this thread, and mirrors the description from 2013 experience so closely, I had to write this to warn others that these issues are real and still exist.
My screening took 7 hours (after fasting overnight) and was it was freezing inside the facility. If you choose to screen there, bring layers because they don’t offer blankets. Most of the day was spent waiting alone with nothing to do. Literally. Not even a magazine to read and there’s no cell reception or WiFi, so bring a good book... and you’re on camera as well.
The vitals staff were great- experienced and upbeat. The lead Dr was pleasant and thorough, seemed genuinely interested and concerned, and mentioned a lot of side effects the coordinator, mentioned above, had not.
I was notified I passed the screening 6.5 hours into the day without anything offered to eat or drink. The coordinator handed me the contract and was very conversational. As I looked it over, I noticed it didn’t match what was discussed in terms of the risks, requirements, and timeframes. The first 2 areas were grossly understated and the timeframe was 3.5 months longer...for the same money originally discussed...which isn’t honest or legal. It also meant that with the flush out period it was more than a one year commitment.
I asked intelligent questions, showed the areas of discrepancy, and suggested the contract be modified to make it accurate. First, she tried to laugh it off. When I let her know I was firm on having the contract reflect reality, her demeanor changed immediately. She started screaming personal insults questioning my ability to read and comprehend English...in broken English with words in another language I could not understand.
I sat quietly, allowed her to finish, and stated I would not be signing a contract that didn’t match what I was told.
She dramatically motioned me out of the room into the hallway and told me to wait. There were no chairs.
During the 20 minutes I waited I could hear her speaking in Japanese to someone in the phone, then another conversation in English including the words “she’s the only white woman who’s willing to go forward.”
I realized I did not want to entrust my life or health to a company who would employ someone like this or allow these kinds of tactics for any amount of money.
A few minutes of silence later she ed the door to her office, motioned me to come back in, and handed me a modified contract... that was still inaccurate.
I calmly pointed out the remaining issues. She screamed more insults. I politely declined to participate and told her why. Her behavior escalated into threats. She said I would not get the screening compensation, she would personally see to it I was banned internationally from Parexel, and would See to it I would never participate in any future studies anywhere via VCT, and had me escorted out of the building by security, even though I’d maintained calm throughout the entire experience.
I was quite relieved to leave, wondering what hellish experience awaits anyone who would entrust her with their lives. I found some thing to eat and drink after 16 hours without, and returned to mine, considering a whole day of my life wasted, but knowing it was better than the possibility of a terrible study and irreparable damage while being ripped off.
She actually had the nerve to call me back 4 days later promising to fix the contract again and pay more. I politely declined again and she went into another tirade so I ended the call.
I wrote a letter describing the experience and rescinding my previous consent to use my lab results and DNA from the screening (for profit) after that, as is my right. It was ignored and I had to petition the IRB, and by then my dna and lab results were already in the pipeline.
This location specializes in risky psych drugs. My experience plus the original entry here makes me wonder if Ms Rakhu entered the profession seeking a cure for herself.
Either way, I’d never trust my health to any company who would so blatantly employ dishonesty and put anyone like her in a position of responsibility like that for any amount of compensation.
I scan available studies 3 or 4 times a year. Interestingly, there’s still a study listed for the same amount of compensation with the same description at Parexel’s Glendale location which has a slightly different name now.
If you see a study for a Bipolar med for $7700 for appmately one year of commitment...expect the same experience.
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brat
Junior Member
I'm alive because of needed exp procedures as a child and glad to be healthy.
Posts: 64
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Post by brat on Mar 19, 2019 13:25:19 GMT -5
This is perhaps the worst airport ever.
I landed at 1 am for a 7:30 am screen thinking I could get a nap in before heading to the CRO. Bad idea.
The buildings are old enough to be on the historic register, tiny with few updates, very noisy with few carpets, and the old seating is minimal, so no place event to lean to rest. TSA is a nightmare...one outside each gate and you have to leave each get to use one of the old restrooms and go back through to get back to your gate.
If I ever go to the area again, I will fly in/out of OMAHA and drive the 3 hours each way. It's a far better experience, flights are less expensive, and the drive is beautiful once you get out into the plains.
On a good note, I discovered Joe's Garage BBQ in KC- just 20 mins from PRA. NOT to be missed, and def a great place to break your fast.
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brat
Junior Member
I'm alive because of needed exp procedures as a child and glad to be healthy.
Posts: 64
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Post by brat on Mar 19, 2019 13:16:21 GMT -5
Did anyone else screen for this? If so what was your impression of the screen and information provided before and during? Thank you.
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brat
Junior Member
I'm alive because of needed exp procedures as a child and glad to be healthy.
Posts: 64
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Post by brat on Feb 23, 2019 17:08:50 GMT -5
This is a good thread. Over 2 years I've noticed soing. Some swear that is a golden child in this industry, but I'm seeing differently. I was part of a phase I for a particular drug of theirs at a big warehouse style place in the southwest. It was awful, with badly trained staff, malcontent within the ranks, and AE's all over, even though most of the people with AE's refused to report. The staff whined an moaned about every AE reported, about the paperwork and delayed compensation for them, and actually coached people to report it in a certain way to decrease their...having to do their jobs. I did report, in full, and they discriminated against me for it while I was there...and even though my labs came back normal upon discharge, my final check arrived 6 months after the study ended.
The drug was more dangerous in higher doses, but that was not what was reported.
The same drug is being tested again now in other clinics. When I ask about the purpose of these studies, I'm told its about seeking more info on AE's. So, those who did NOT report their AE's in that initial study did impact the original results. Drug companies have huge coffers. CRO's get a huge sum for these studies from sponsors and they want to spend as little of that as possible and "yes" the sponsor into going forward with the drug so the funds are liquid. They pay the people on the ground (including us) a pittance, which makes the drones want to keep every cent regardless of the consequences. This industry is incredibly dysfunctional because of the greed at all levels, and the "do no harm" oath plays no part.
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brat
Junior Member
I'm alive because of needed exp procedures as a child and glad to be healthy.
Posts: 64
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Post by brat on Feb 23, 2019 16:47:50 GMT -5
Thanks.
I'm curious about what it's like there to screen and in house-if the people are actually professional in attitude, phlebotomy skills, if the food is decent, and what the facility is like. There would be significant travel expense for me and I'm not interested in dealing with any more expensive trips that don't result in disclosure/ reasonable questions answered and walking away because those basics are not provided.
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brat
Junior Member
I'm alive because of needed exp procedures as a child and glad to be healthy.
Posts: 64
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Post by brat on Feb 23, 2019 15:53:55 GMT -5
How was your experience at Pharmaron fl2014ta?
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brat
Junior Member
I'm alive because of needed exp procedures as a child and glad to be healthy.
Posts: 64
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Post by brat on Feb 23, 2019 15:37:23 GMT -5
Excellent! Thanks! I used to live in Jupiter and was looking at studies to finance a social visit : )
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