Key Summary
- Participants from underserved communities are often disproportionately underrepresented in clinical research
- Their inclusion will ensure that the research more accurately reflects the makeup of society
- For community pharmacies, supporting clinical trials and health research could also be a financially valuable diversification opportunity
The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) and the Centre for Research Equity (CfRE) at Oxford have launched a partnership to help independent community pharmacies across the UK recruit more participants from deprived communities and minority ethnic groups for clinical trials.
One of the principal aims is to ensure that people from these communities are properly represented in trials to help to reduce health inequalities and improve health outcomes.
Community pharmacies are located in neighbourhoods and are visited by 1.6 million people across the UK every day.
They can be a conduit to accessing the population and embedding research in the prevention, treatment, and management of health and well-being.
Professor Mahendra Patel, director of the CfRE, based at Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, said, “Participants from underserved communities are often disproportionately under-represented in clinical research.
"Community pharmacies are a valuable local health resource. By engaging them as a channel to recruit participants, we can help ensure that research more accurately reflects the make-up of society and is inclusive and diverse.”
NPA vice chair, Sukhi Basra, said, "NPA members taking part will be helping to ensure safe and effective healthcare practice across the UK and worldwide.
"It is commonplace for GP practices to recruit patients into trials, and we are confident that the community pharmacy network can add value to research efforts.”
She said that for community pharmacies, supporting clinical trials and health research could also be a financially valuable diversification opportunity.
NPA members wishing to express an interest in recruiting patients and customers to participate in clinical trials should email s.williams@npa.co.uk.
Organisations interested in developing research proposals should contact Professor Patel at mahendra.patel@phc.ox.ac.uk.
Any of the NPA’s 6,000 member pharmacies across the UK may participate in this project, regardless of location or the demographic they serve.
Established in 2023, CfRE is an independent, non-profit coalition of patient and public advocates, healthcare professionals, researchers, pharma and health industry, academics, and regulators.
