The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 270 No 7230 p34-35
4 January 2003

Society summary

Pharmacy practice: Investing in research and securing the future

This article has been produced in the Royal Pharmaceutical Society's pharmacy practice research division to draw pharmacists' attention to sources of funding in 2003 for research training for pharmacists and for pharmacy practice research projects

Since 1998 health policy has explicitly shaped the National Health Service to focus on the provision of high quality services that meet the needs and expectations of patients and the public.^1–5 Quality and accountability lie at the heart of this ambitious policy agenda with the development and implementation of clinical governance the statutory responsibility of chief executives in all hospital, community and primary care trusts.^6–11

The generation and use of research evidence in supporting decision making is key to the delivery of clinical governance, and the Department of Health has therefore sought to develop the capacity of the NHS workforce to conduct research and to appraise and apply the results in everyday clinical practice and service delivery. Investment in project funding for health services research from a number of sources has increased markedly in recent years with the Department, the NHS and the Medical Research Council all investing in major programmes of work that address aspects of the delivery of health care and services.

Since publication of the report of the Pharmacy Practice Research Taskforce in 1996,¹² the Royal Pharmaceutical Society has been pursuing a policy to increase the funding available to provide research training for pharmacists and to fund pharmacy practice research projects. The aim is to develop a pharmacy workforce that routinely uses research and one that can contribute to the conduct of research as research collaborators, independent research practitioners or research leaders. Subsequent work has set the agenda for implementing evidence-based pharmacy practice.¹³

The development agendas now being pursued in pharmacy^14,15 will draw upon existing research and set the direction for future research in pharmacy — participation in research by pharmacists has always been recognised as an important, if underdeveloped, area of practice, but it is increasingly seen as being central to developing the pharmacy workforce. Recent investments in research networks — for example, in Hull and East Riding, and associated with the University of Manchester — and significant trials of new services in pharmacy signify major changes in the climate for conducting pharmacy practice research.

Publication in 2001 of the NHS research governance framework,^16–18 which will be implemented in primary care from April 2003, has markedly changed the expectations placed on researchers to conduct research that is ethical and meets the requirements of good governance. Issues such as data protection, informed consent and appropriate training of researchers are high on the agenda as a result. The need for investment in high quality feasibility studies and research training is now recognised and acknowledged.

Research training awards Through the Pharmacy Practice Research Trust, funding is available to support community pharmacists who wish to undertake research training. The research training bursaries were launched in 2002 to support participation in relevant masters programmes.¹⁹ Funding for PhD and post-doctoral study (up to senior scientist levels) is also available to pharmacists from the Department of Health, the MRC and the Wellcome Trust.²⁰

Practice research awards The Society has for a number of years offered small grants to fund pharmacists wishing to conduct research relating to pharmacy practice. A total of 22 grants has been awarded to practitioners and university staff to develop small projects or to fund research training.²¹

This article sets out details of the funding available for pharmacists to undertake practice research projects and research training.

Research training bursaries

The research training bursary scheme, launched by the Pharmacy Practice Research Trust in 2002, is intended to support community pharmacists who have an interest in developing their skills in conducting research relating to everyday practice. Applications are assessed on the individual and not on a proposed research project (unlike the Society's Galen award and Sir Hugh Linstead fellowship). Applicants do not need to have an established track record of research. However, it is desirable that applicants possess an interest in becoming part of the larger research network and contributing to the existing evidence base. The bursary provides funding for such pharmacists to pursue formal training at master's level and courses must include taught modules in fields relevant to practice research.

Funding for these bursaries has come from the Leverhulme Trade Charities Trust and is therefore to be used to help individual community pharmacists who demonstrate a real need for external support to develop their skills and careers in research. Pharmacists who currently work in community pharmacy and are either self-employed or are employed by a small chain (defined as up to 60 registered premises) can apply for these bursaries.

The trustees of the the Pharmacy Practice Research Trust are seeking additional funding to broaden the scope of the scheme and to open it to all pharmacists in the future.

Each bursary may (if required) include a contribution to the following items of funding: salary (pro rata for part time); course fees; research costs (up to a maximum of £250, to include printing, postage and travel); and conference attendance (up to a maximum of £200 to allow attendance and presentation of work at one or more United Kingdom conferences

The Pharmacy Practice Research Trust was established in July 1999 as an independent research charity, with broad objectives to promote and develop the field of pharmacy practice research into how people use and take medicines. The trust has set out a programme of social and economic research that addresses the issues that relate to medicines and their uses, called the "Medicines and people" programme. The programme has four related themes:

1. The health of the public and the place of medicines

2. The right medicine for the right patient: preventing medication errors

3. Medicines and the health of communities

4. Science, technology and medicines

The deadline for completed applications will be 2 May. Interviews for shortlisted applicants will be held in July or August. Further information on the training bursaries is available from Kerry Crabb (tel 020 7572 2275; email kcrabb@rpsgb.org.uk).

Practice research awards

Two types of practice research awards are offered by the Society. They are the Galen award — one or more awards made annually to a total value of £10,000 funded by a bequest by Rowland Henry Williams — and the Sir Hugh Linstead Fellowship — one or more awards made annually to a total value of £30,000 funded by a grant from the Leverhulme Trade Charities Trust in order to support research relating to community pharmacy.

All applicants must be members of the Society (those currently undertaking preregistration training will be considered but will need to have joined the register before receiving funding). As the purpose of the awards is to build research capacity in pharmacy practice the following groups have been identified:

• Those requiring funding between PhD and postdoctoral grants

• Those requiring funding to go from MPhil to PhD

• Practitioners new to research

• PhD students requiring "research costs" to enhance their PhDs

The awards can also be used to fund new areas of research, such as pre-pilot and feasibility studies, that would not be considered by other funding bodies. However, because of its source of funding, applicants for the Sir High Linstead fellowship must either be community pharmacists or be seeking funding for research that benefits community pharmacy.

The level of funding requested is at the discretion of the applicant to a maximum of £10,000 for the Galen award and £30,000 for the Sir Hugh Linstead Fellowship. The awards can be used for salary costs, locum costs, training course costs, appropriate academic supervision costs and research costs. However, the awards cannot be used to fund overheads and research administration costs such as data entry and transcription.

The deadline for completed applications for the practice research awards is 13 June. The interviews for shortlisted candidates will be held on 13 August. Further information on the research awards is available from the practice research pages of the Society's website or from the practice research division (tel 020 7572 2278; e-mail practiceresearch@rpsgb.org.uk).

In addition, applications from pharmacists are sought for awards funded as part of NHS funded multidisciplinary schemes.

Research capacity development

The NHS Research Capacity Strategy Group, under the chairmanship of Professor Cliff Bailey (director of research and development, Directorate of Health and Social Care North) was set up to respond to recommendations made for developing research workforce capacity in the Mant report.²² Activities of the group include a number of training awards schemes which are open to pharmacists:

• NHS R&D national primary care awards

• Public health career scientist awards

• MRC/DH Health Service Research special training fellowships

• Complementary and alternative medicine awards

Details of the schemes and awards are available from the research and development section of the Department of Health website.

National primary care awards Invitations to apply for the following national primary care awards were announced in December 2002:

• Primary care researcher development awards

• Primary care postdoctoral awards

• Primary care career scientist awards

Researcher development awards are intended to identify individuals with outstanding potential early in their primary care research careers and to "fast track" them by supporting them in a research training environment with a customised training programme which reflects individual talents and needs. These awards are made for a period of three (or four years pro rata) and support completion of a PhD.

PPP Foundation/DH primary care postdoctoral fellowships are intended to support outstanding individuals who have completed research training up to PhD level. The award allows individuals to consolidate their research experience and to prepare them, through training and mentorship, to become independent research leaders. These awards are made for a period of three years (or four years pro rata).

Career scientist awards are intended to unblock the career pathways of the highest calibre individuals at the stage of developing their own programme of research. Candidates are therefore likely to have held senior research appointments and should be able to demonstrate a substantial record in a relevant research area. Awards are made for a period of five years. All awards cover salary, tuition, a contribution to research costs and a conference allowance.

The closing date for completed applications is 1pm on Monday 3 February. Further information can be obtained from Linda Robinson at the National Co-ordinating Centre for Research Capacity Development (tel 0113 254 3838; e-mail linda.robinson@doh.gov.uk). Anyone wishing to discuss the relevance of the awards to pharmacists should contact Dr Sue Ambler, head of practice research at the Society (tel 0207 572 2277).

Other NHS awards Details of other NHS research awards can be obtained from the Department of Health website.