The UK Pharmacy Research Advisory Group (PRAG) has developed a 10-year plan to “embed” research and research skills in pharmacy practice across the UK.
The group said yesterday that the strategy, commissioned by the UK chief pharmaceutical officers, aims to make research an “integral, accessible and inclusive part of every pharmacist’s and pharmacy technician’s career”.
It added that the “shared vision” looks to enable pharmacy professionals to “engage in, support and lead research that improves patient outcomes, advances healthcare and strengthens our collective professional identity”.
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PRAG said the new strategy is a response to the challenges uncovered in a 2024 NHS England survey of pharmacy professionals’ involvement in research, which highlighted that pharmacists and pharmacy technicians remain “significantly underrepresented in leading and delivering research”.
“This underrepresentation limits both the contribution of the pharmacy professions to the national research landscape and the generation of evidence that supports practice involvement,” it added.
“Significant untapped potential”
The group said pharmacy research “has the potential to deliver value at every level”, through improved patient safety, building career opportunities for pharmacists and raising the “visibility and credibility” of pharmacists as contributors to research, innovation and policy.
It noted that research in pharmacy practice “encompasses a broad spectrum of activity”, from leading clinical trials to supporting data collection and analysis.
And it stressed that equity is “central” to the strategy, recognising a variation in opportunity, capability and infrastructure across professions, sectors and UK nations.
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“This strategy acknowledges the significant untapped potential in areas currently less engaged in research and commits to addressing structural, cultural and educational barriers that prevent equal participation,” PRAG said.
It added that the strategy was not about enabling a small number of individuals to lead studies, but about “creating a culture where every pharmacist and pharmacy technician can see themselves in research, as contributors, collaborators or leaders”.
Strategic goals
In the plan, PRAG outlined four “evidence-based strategic goals” with accompanying frameworks for how they will be achieved.
Its goal to develop “research leadership, skills and knowledge across pharmacy careers” will be realised by promoting training programmes and fostering “accessible mentorship opportunities” through organisations such as the Royal College of Pharmacy and the Association of Pharmacy Technicians UK.
Building supportive systems and structures will involve working with primary and secondary care employers, independent pharmacy contractors, higher education institutions and the pharmaceutical industry to “build an organisational infrastructure that includes allocated research time, research-supportive job structures and funding pathways”.
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A “research positive-culture” will be achieved by embedding research activities in education and curricula and regulatory standards, collaborating with sector regulators and encouraging “all members of the pharmacy team to support research at a level appropriate to their role and ability”.
And the sector will make the most of technology and innovation by providing training in digital health technologies such as AI, using digital platforms to facilitate data sharing and collaboration and using technology to simplify and accelerate research processes.
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PRAG said it will measure the strategy’s success by tracking the number of pharmacists participating in research training and clinical academic roles, publication and policy contributions and research awards, as well as through qualitative feedback from pharmacists and pharmacy technicians on the “impact of improved research skills and research capacity”.
“The journey to embed research within every level of pharmacist and pharmacy technician practice has only just begun,” it said.
“Moving forward, this strategy will continue to evolve through ongoing engagement, feedback and wider collaboration across healthcare.”
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It comes after the National Institute for Health and Care Research opened applications earlier this month for research-active community pharmacies to access between £2,000 and £100,000 to support staff time.
And it follows Boots and the University of Nottingham last month announcing a partnership to advance research into the future of digital health and integrated healthcare.
