CHARLOTTE, N.C.–The Premier healthcare alliance today announced a new agreement for specialty distribution-research has been awarded to VWR International, LLC, a global laboratory supply and distribution company with worldwide sales in excess of $3.6 billion in 2010.

This is a new contract category for Premier which was established for research facilities. It includes items that are used in the clinical and laboratory research setting in addition to accompanying education and services.

Effective August 1, 2011, the agreement is available to both research and clinical facilities, and to continuum of care members of Premier.

About the Premier healthcare alliance, Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award recipient

Premier is a performance improvement alliance of more than 2,500 U.S. hospitals and 78,000-plus other healthcare sites using the power of collaboration to lead the transformation to high quality, cost-effective care. Owned by hospitals, health systems and other providers, Premier maintains the nation’s most comprehensive repository of clinical, financial and outcomes information and operates a leading healthcare purchasing network. A world leader in helping deliver measurable improvements in care, Premier has worked with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the United Kingdom’s National Health Service North West to improve hospital performance. Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Premier also has an office in Washington.