The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 280 No 7486 p74
26 January 2008

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Northern research network seeks pharmacy input

Community pharmacists in Yorkshire and the north-east of England are being encouraged to register their interest in participating in practice-based clinical research.

The Primary Care Research Network Northern and Yorkshire is writing to over 500 pharmacies in the area and is seeking to establish a database of those who are interested in research so that it can keep them informed and invite them to participate in their areas of interest.

The PCRN wants to involve pharmacists in clinical research and is keen to ensure that all practitioners in primary care are able to participate in the initiative. Funding for these trials and studies will come from a variety of sources, including the Medical Research Council, the NHS, charities and industry, the letter explains. The major clinical research topics are cancer, dementia and neurodegenerative diseases, diabetes, medicines for children, mental health and stroke.

Hilary Edmondson, a community pharmacist who set up the Hull and East Riding Pharmacy Research Network, which is now linked with the PCRN Northern and Yorkshire, told The Journal that pharmacy has a great deal to contribute to the evidence base for clinical practice. However, she said that although the network in Hull has demonstrated that community pharmacies can be involved in research projects there is not much experience of engaging pharmacists and their staff in practice research.

“I would encourage all pharmacists to contact their local PCRN or local comprehensive research network if they want to become involved in clinical research. Networks can provide information about research training and, most importantly, put people in touch with each other to discuss research ideas or how to recruit practitioners and patients into projects.”

Local research networks were set up as part of the Government’s strategy — “Best research for best health” — which established the National Institute for Health Research and aims to make the NHS the pre-eminent location worldwide for undertaking clinical research. A progress report published last week (PDF, 4.4Mb) reviews the work of the NIHR. “Transforming health research — the first two years” describes the progress the NIHR has made in developing the infrastructure, programmes and systems to facilitate health research in England.