Greetings from the field! San Diego is not only a great city, but this year it is host to the Global Clinical Supplies Group (GCSG) annual US meeting. This global organization provides a great platform for learning and engagement. Born out of a small gathering of professionals almost 40 years ago as Midwest Clinical Supplies Group it has grown to an international community. The US meeting is the largest dedicated to clinical supplies. The secret sauce is an all volunteer board and staff that come from both sponsors and services providers working in close collaboration. Commercial entities are not driving the agenda, the community of clinical supply expert and learners  are. As a non-profit organization GCSG delivers great value and focus on learning.  

Patient centricity is a key topic at this year’s meeting but this is nothing new at GCSG. A patient testimonial is always a corner stone of the agenda on day 2. This year’s attendees were captivated by one of their own, Michelle Stump-Kerry, whose career arc included stops at sponsors and service providers in this thing of ours. Her story inspired attendees to think of patients in their day to day approach. 

AI and its place in clinical supplies and in the industry in general were also on full display with a few sessions and a day long boot camp dedicated to deep learning. The “boot Camps” are another hallmark of GCSG. Day long training sessions prior to the opening of the general conference are very popular with engagement levels from beginner to advanced. Logistics, IRT, cell & gene therapy were on this years. In the hallways you’ll hear conversations about regulatory concerns, distribution pathways, temperature excursion, packaging operations, emerging markets, challenges in rare disease, and of course the technologies and partners that drive them all. I was on the agenda this year again and adding my experience to the topic of  drug accountability & destruction

These folks also know how to have fun while they’re taking on serious topics. Fun and a high level of engagement are not just a side show, they are built into the agenda. 

In 2023 I attended GCSG’s  European Knowledge Forum in Athens and this year Rome is the destination. For 2027 I am putting their Asia-Pac conference on my schedule as well. 

I am a bit biased for sure, but I just ask any one who attends and they will likely also say that GCSG puts on not just the biggest but the best conference dedicated to clinical supplies. Check ‘em out, and tell them Craig Mooney sent ya 😉 “