The Think Community Pharmacy campaign, which got underway today at the PCRN’s national meeting, is aimed at researchers and highlights the many benefits of involving community pharmacies in research design and delivery.
There are approximately 13,000 community pharmacies in Britain which together encompass a diverse demography and ethnography. This combined with the fact that people visit the pharmacy for health related reasons on average 11 times a year, represents a significant opportunity for engaging patients and the public in primary care research.
As well as raising awareness of research, community pharmacies can advise on study design and delivery in a community setting, assist with the identification and recruiting of suitable participants for research studies, as well as support the delivery of research - for example by taking samples and/or dispensing research trial medication.
Patricia Ellis, PCRN’s Assistant Director, applauds the new campaign:
“Community pharmacies are an under-used resource. They have extraordinary potential to contribute to primary care research studies because they, like GP’s, are interacting with the general public about their healthcare on a day to day basis. PCRN is very enthusiastic about supporting this new initiative.”
A campaign leaflet and poster are now available from both the PCRN website and the RPS website.
View the campaign materials in our resource gallery.
