---
title: Protocol Arms
description: "Arms in Vestigo: A Concise Overview"
---

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September 25, 2026

# Protocol Arms

## Arms in Vestigo: A Concise Overview

Protocol arms can be thought of as dispensing arms which may be different than protocol arms. Protocol arms drive what orders are available to participants. You can have one order available in multiple arms, or you can have one order available in each arm. This helps ensure the correct order is selected based on the arm the participant is enrolled in.

![](https://vestigohelp.mccreadiegroup.com/hs-fs/hubfs/image-png-Sep-18-2026-01-56-27-9866-AM.png?width=670&height=294&name=image-png-Sep-18-2026-01-56-27-9866-AM.png)

For example, a protocol that is comparing a drug versus a placebo has two protocol arms.  If the pharmacy knows which arm the participant is enrolled in, then the protocol should be set up as two arms in Vestigo. 

If the pharmacy is also blinded and you are dispensing blinded drug, it should be set up as a single arm as you won’t know which arm the participant is in. 

When adding arms, you will need to supply the arm description and indicate whether participant enrollment and dispensing are allowed for the arm.

 

### Required Permissions

**ProtocolSnapshot** - Ability to view the Summary page of a Protocol (Protocol Snapshot). Required for all other protocol view permissions.

**ProtocolManagement** - Protocol Management

**EditProtocolArms** - Ability to edit Protocol Arms tab.

 

### Creating an Arm

When building an arm, we suggest the arm description contain the following information: Drug name, Strength or Concentration, Formulation, Route, Frequency, Schedule duration. Sites can choose how descriptive they make the arm name.

1. Navigate to the **protocol**
2. Click **Edit Protocol**
3. Click the **Arms** Tab
4. Click **Add New**
5. Enter an *Arm Description*
6. Click the blue **Submit** Button

 

### Modifying Arms

Once an arm is created, you can make edits to the arm, including the name. However, once an arm is used, its original intention should remain the same.

**Warning** - You should never edit the arm name and change the meaning of the arm once it has been dispensed on

###### Deleting Arms

You can also delete arms if they were not used and if they’re not tied to any order or have been used. Once an arm is deleted, it cannot be restored.

If you deleted any orders already that the arm may have still been attached to, sites will have to mark that arm as not usable and not enrollable or dispenable on. Orders can be deleted until they are used for a dispense. Once used, the order can only be closed.

 

#### Arm Flags

Each arm has two additional flags to control enrollment and dispensing.

- Allow patient enrollment into this arm - If this flag is unchecked, new participants cannot be enrolled in this arm. This does not impact participants that are currently enrolled.
- Allow dispensing into this arm - If this flag is unchecked, any participants enrolled in this arm cannot be dispensed to.

![](https://vestigohelp.mccreadiegroup.com/hs-fs/hubfs/image-png-Sep-18-2026-01-55-30-1548-AM.png?width=670&height=285&name=image-png-Sep-18-2026-01-55-30-1548-AM.png)

 

### Inventory

Protocol Arms can also impact participant specific inventory. If inventory is received to a participant while in one arm, it is specific to that participant in that arm. If the participant's arm changes, the inventory must be transferred to the participant in the new arm. 

**Note** - To receive inventory specific to a participant, the participant must be enrolled in an arm where that drug is included in the corresponding order.

 

### CTMS and Protocol Arms

If your site has contracted for a CTMS interface and creates a protocol utilizing this connection, the protocol arms will be populated only during the initial build and will not update thereafter. The pharmacy may opt to utilize the arms as established or independently manage them. Many sites prefer to oversee protocol arms themselves, which can often be attributed to blinding protocols, where the pharmacy serves as the sole unblinded party.

 

 

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