Research is everyone’s business.
It is a misconception that research is only undertaken by academics or research specialists. Every pharmacy professional should engage in research.
Research is one of the four pillars of clinical practice that is defining our profession.
The importance of clinical research careers is highlighted in the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan 2023. Professional leadership bodies all agree that all pharmacy professionals should engage, support and lead in quality improvement and research.
It can be hard to know where to start…so this is why we have created this learning gateway page, so everyone can get involved and you can choose how you want to learn.
So, why not get a small group of your colleagues together and work through the Optimise programme, or start with the introduction to quality improvement self-directed learning? There’s also a great BMJ article that compares the difference between audit, quality improvement and research, and Health innovation West of England has a comprehensive Quality Improvement Library. Each piece of learning on this page signposts you to more, links to more and will help you on your journey, embedding research into your everyday.
As you work through the resources on this page you will discover that you already have a lot of skills that you need to start. Curiosity, wanting to improve work processes, improving patient care, reducing health inequalities…. Build on what’s in front of you and what is important to you. And you don’t have to do it alone. Work with others undertaking quality improvement or research activities and make a difference in things that matter!
0h:06m (for events this includes pre and post event learning)
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This programme aims to demystify quality improvement (QI) and will help you explain why it is relevant to healthcare and your area of work. It provides an overview of commonly used QI tools to help you start to think through your problem or issue and the opportunity to apply learning to practice.
2h:00m (for events this includes pre and post event learning)
Learning Outcomes:
On completion of all aspects of this learning programme you should be able to:
This guide supports pharmacy professionals who want to learn more about how they can manage the risks that are inherent in their practice. It signposts you to the most appropriate places for your learning and to other key resources.
If you are using the interactive PDF version of this programme, please ensure you download and save a copy of it to your computer before attempting to make and save any changes. If you try and make changes in your browser, there is a strong likelihood of losing your work.
4h:00m (for events this includes pre and post event learning)
Learning Outcomes:
On completion of all aspects of this learning programme you should be able to:The aim of this programme is to get you thinking about how you can become involved with research. It signposts to a range of tools and resources to support you as you begin your research journey.
1h:00m (for events this includes pre and post event learning)
Learning Outcomes:
On completion of all aspects of this learning programme you should be able to:
This guide provides an introduction to research as well as an overview of research in pharmacy practice.
It will give you the foundational knowledge to develop your confidence and skills in research.
Once you have completed this introductory module, you want to consider completing the next eight modules in this series.
This journal article outlines the differences, similarities and crossovers between quality improvement and clinical audit, research, service evaluation and clinical transformation.
This document has a table describing the key characteristics of research, service evaluation, audit and health surveillance projects.
This webinar, hosted by CPPE with Hadeel Mohamed, Deputy Head of Clinical Pharmacy and Education Lead for a GP Federation in Leeds and PhD student at The University of Bradford. Hadeel shares the simple steps pharmacy professionals can take to get started in research in primary care.
Please note: The video states that most practices do not have a research lead- but this is now changing nationwide, for example, the East of England region.
The ICB teams mentioned in this video are supported by the Research Delivery Service while NIHR funded resources such as the research design service are intended to support individuals.
eLfH has developed the Environmentally sustainable healthcare modules to support healthcare professionals to deliver healthcare that is financially, socially and environmentally sustainable. Unit 1 focuses on building a net zero NHS and Unit 2 addresses environmental sustainability in quality improvement.
Outline of the resources, support programmes and case studies highlighting the options available for pharmacists looking to include research in their career.
This e-assessment is linked with the CPPE Quality improvement (QI): an introduction for pharmacy professionals programme and assesses you on the learning outcomes in that programme.
Why should I do this assessment?
This e-assessment completes the learning you began with the CPPE Quality improvement (QI): an introduction for pharmacy professionals e-learning programme. Access and successful completion will contribute to your own personal development plan, be recorded in your My CPPE record and will enable you to complete a CPD entry on the learning. It may also provide evidence for achieving competencies in the RPS Foundation or Advanced Pharmacy Frameworks. If you are working towards completing a Declaration of Competence for a pharmacy service, successful completion of this assessment will provide evidence of your learning.This resource is only available to RPS members.
The new RPS Mentoring platform helps pharmacists to help each other and the profession, regardless of their level of experience. Any RPS member can become either a Mentor or a Mentee.
The Pharmacy Incubator began as a research project and aims to produce guidelines and tools to support pharmacy professionals in research. It is supported by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The incubator aims to address the limited involvement of pharmacy professionals in healthcare research across sectors and develop strategies to address the research deficit.
Health Iinnovation West of England has a comprehensive Quality Improvement Library with links to recommended resources and downloadable templates to use.
The RPS Core Advanced Curriculum describes the entry-level standard of demonstrable outcomes for advanced pharmacists working in any patient focused role, including a domain specifically focused on research.
The RPS Foundation programme sets expected outcomes for members in their first 1000 days of practice, including a domain specifically focused on research.
APTUK Foundation Pharmacy Framework (FPF). This framework aims to support pharmacy technicians and the organisations which they work in to deliver high quality healthcare with emphasis on patient safety, clinical effectiveness and patient experience.
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