The Centre for Research Equity at the University of Oxford and the National Pharmacy Association have formed a new partnership to examine how independent community pharmacies can support recruitment into clinical trials and other health research studies.
The partnership aims to improve the diversity of people who are recruited into research. Evidence shows that people living in areas with high socioeconomic deprivation and people from minority ethnic groups often face practical barriers that limit participation. These include restricted access to clear research information and fewer interactions with conventional recruitment sites such as general practice, hospitals and dedicated research centres.
In many communities under-represented in research, pharmacies are far more accessible than hospitals or GP practices that run trials.
They provide regular advice on medicines and common health concerns and often have more frequent patient contact than other healthcare settings. More than 99 percent of people living in the most deprived areas of the UK live within a 20-minute walk of a pharmacy. This accessibility creates opportunities for pharmacy teams to share information about appropriate studies, answer questions, and reduce practical barriers to participation.
Professor Mahendra Patel, Director of the Centre for Research Equity, said
Participation in trials often reflects groups who already have good access to healthcare. Many community pharmacies support people who have fewer interactions with traditional research sites such as hospitals or general practice. Involving pharmacy teams in recruitment processes can help studies reach a broader range of participants and better reflect the communities most affected by health conditions.
Sukhi Basra, Vice Chair of the National Pharmacy Association, said: “Pharmacies that choose to take part will contribute to safe and effective healthcare practice across the United Kingdom and internationally. General practice has long been involved in recruiting people into trials and community pharmacies are well placed to complement this activity. Their regular contact with patients creates opportunities to share clear information about appropriate studies. Research involvement may also offer an additional income stream for some pharmacies.”
These views reflect the shared commitment to widening participation in research through settings that people use and trust. This commitment extends across the National Pharmacy Association’s network, and any of its 6000 member pharmacies across the UK may participate in this project.
Read the Press release from the National Pharmacy Association and the Centre for Research Equity.
Read the Community Pharmacy Partnership Manifesto document.
For more information visit National Pharmacy Association.
In the news feature:
- Pharmaceutical Journal: Collaboration to diversify trial participation through community pharmacies launched - The Pharmaceutical Journal
- Healthcare Management Magazine: Partnership aims to widen participation in clinical research through community pharmacies
- Pharmacy Business Magazine: https://www.pharmacy.biz/community-pharmacy-clinical-trial-recruitment/
- Pharmacy Magazine: NPA and Centre for Research Equity help independents recruit people for clinical trials
- CIG titles: As well as Pharmacy Magazine, the story was carried across other CIG titles, including Independent Community Pharmacist https://www.independentpharmacist.co.uk/news/12881477-npa-and-centre-for-research-equity-help-independents-recruit-people-for-clinical-trials