Two to share practice research awards totalling £50,000
The grant of two pharmacy practice research awards for 2004 with a total value of £50,000 has been announced by the Pharmacy Practice Research Trust — the independent body established by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society in 1999 to promote practice research.
Wendy Gidman from the University of Manchester has been awarded the Sir
Hugh Linstead Fellowship, which is funded by the Leverhulme Trade Charities
Trust. She will receive £35,500 to investigate the working patterns
of female community pharmacists over the age of 30.
Ms Gidman said: “Current pharmacist shortages are a cause for concern.
Part-time working is common in community pharmacy, particularly among
female pharmacists over the age of 30. This study will find out more
about the
factors influencing female pharmacists’ working practices. This
information will help policy makers to plan and provide pharmacy services
in the future.”
Dyfrig Hughes, from the Centre for the Economics of Health at the University
of Wales, has been awarded the Galen award of £10,000, topped up
to £14,500 by additional funding from the Leverhulme Trade Charities
Trust.
Dr Hughes is to investigate the factors that influence whether people
visit a GP or a community pharmacist for the management of minor ailments.
He says that the initial aim is to identify the key attributes relevant
to the patient’s decision. The technique of “discrete choice
experiment” will then be used to quantify the impact of each attribute
(such as cost and waiting time) on patients’ choice.
Dr Hughes said: “This will allow us to get a better picture of
why patients seek pharmacist advice as opposed to GP advice (or vice
versa), which is important for designing minor ailment schemes.”
Further information on the 2004 awards or previous research funded through
the practice research awards is available
from Zoe Whittington, research manager, at the Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s
London headquarters (tel 020 7572 2276; e-mail zoe.whittington@rpsgb.org).
Details of the pharmacy practice research awards can be found on the
practice
research pages of the Society’s website.
The Pharmacy Practice Research Trust is to announce details of the application
process for the 2005 practice research awards in January 2005. Further
information about the trust can be obtained from Kerry Crabb at the Society’s
headquarters (tel 020 7572 2275; e-mail kerry.crabb@rpsgb.org).
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