The pharmacy practice research unit at Brighton university's school of pharmacy has been endorsed by the National Health Service as a centre for health care research (CHCR).
Dr Robert Horne, MRPharmS, told The Journal on February 22: "This is a cracking endorsement of practice research in the school of pharmacy. The NHS is saying that the unit is a suitable source of expertise to advise on research methodology for the NHS. It is a great coup. We are the first school of pharmacy to host a CHCR. Most of them are in medical schools."
The centre was established in September, last year, and is to be officially opened on March 1.
Earlier research undertaken by the unit, which looked at the reasons why people do not always take medicine they are prescribed, has been expanded to look at the psychology of a broader range of behaviours in illness, such as the uptake and content of rehabilitation classes after myocardial infarction.
The centre is expected to enhance NHS-related research by carrying out specialist research in association with NHS partners and by providing generic support to researchers in the NHS. This is expected to include bespoke advice for individual staff, as well as the provision of training packages on research methodology.