About us
A clinical research site network for the whole Caribbean
PCRA Caribbean is the single front door to Caribbean clinical research for companies that need real-world clinical evidence. We connect pharmaceutical companies, medical device manufacturers, medtech businesses, and regulatory affairs teams with research-motivated sites across the region — hospitals, polyclinics, public health centres, family practices, private specialist clinics, physiotherapy clinics, diagnostics and laboratories, dental clinics, pharmacies and dedicated research units — with one point of contact and centralised contracting.
We run as a commercial organisation, to commercial timelines — profit just isn't our primary goal. Our purpose is to increase the flow of research studies into the Caribbean, and to widen the range of patients able to take part.
Why choose us?
Caribbean healthcare providers can be hard to access for commercial research — dozens of countries and territories, four official languages, and no single route in. We exist to change that. Our member sites are not passive participants — they join because they actively want to work with companies developing new products and treatments. And because we handle centralised contracting, project management, and governance, you negotiate once instead of site by site, country by country.
We work with smaller pharmaceutical companies, independent CROs, medical device manufacturers, medtech businesses, and the regulatory and clinical affairs teams within them. We are probably not the right partner for the very largest global trials — but for everyone who needs rigorous, real-world evidence from the Caribbean, we aim to be.
Our commitment to you
We are honest and straightforward. We keep communication open throughout, and we do what we say we will do.
A network built on a proven model
We are part of the PCRA Group, backed by PCRA UK — the UK's largest independent primary care research network — and we are growing our network of member sites across the English, Spanish, French and Dutch-speaking Caribbean: from Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago and Barbados to the Dominican Republic, the OECS islands, and the British, French, Dutch and US territories.
Every site in the network is here by choice, onboarded to a common standard, and matched carefully to the studies it is genuinely able to deliver. Equipment is sourced and rented on a per-study basis — so no site is excluded because of infrastructure.
Our Caribbean success stories are being written right now. If you would like to be part of them — as a sponsor or as a site — we would love to talk.
Backed by the UK's largest independent primary care research network
Our UK sister network grew from 12 founding practices into the country's largest independent primary care research network. PCRA Caribbean runs on the same model, the same governance standards, and the same leadership philosophy.
- ~180
- Practices in the UK sister network
- 8M+
- Registered patients across the UK network
- 25+
- Therapeutic areas delivered in the UK
- <4 wks
- Typical UK site activation time
Figures relate to PCRA UK, our sister network within the PCRA Group. PCRA Caribbean runs separately, on its own systems, with its own growing network of Caribbean research sites.
Working within the Caribbean's public-health framework
The Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) is the regional public-health agency for the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). Headquartered in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, it brings together the work of five former regional health institutions and supports member states with disease surveillance, laboratory services, health information and research across the region.
For clinical research, CARPHA matters for two reasons:
- Regional research priorities. CARPHA publishes and promotes a regional health-research agenda, so studies that address the Caribbean's real disease burden — diabetes, hypertension, sickle cell disease, infectious and vector-borne disease among them — align with the region's own public-health goals.
- Research ethics review. CARPHA operates a Research Ethics Committee that reviews health research involving CARICOM member states — particularly valuable for multi-country studies and for territories that do not have their own national ethics committee. Sponsors planning regional studies should factor CARPHA ethics review into their start-up timelines, alongside any national ethics and regulatory approvals that apply in each participating country.
PCRA Caribbean helps member sites and sponsors navigate this landscape — identifying which national and regional approvals a study needs and connecting sites with the right pathway.
Learn more at carpha.org.
PCRA Caribbean is an independent network and is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, CARPHA or CARICOM.
Key Features
A growing network of research-motivated sites of every kind
Delivery where patients actually receive their care — hospital, clinic, pharmacy or home
Equipment sourced per study — kit is never a barrier
Delivery models designed around your protocol
Motivated, proactive sites that join because they want to do research
Digitally active, paperless ways of working
Backup sites planned into studies as the network grows
Centralised contracting, finance, and project management
Partners welcome
Our sponsor relationships and member sites shape how the network works. We handle client relationships with discretion — client stories and case studies appear here only with their permission.
Ready to start your study?
Contact us to discuss how we can support your clinical research needs.
Get in Touch