Demystifying research

Aim

To help community pharmacy technicians become more involved in research. 

Objectives:

After completing this module and its online counterpart, pharmacy technicians will:    

• Understand how research can benefit their work and their patients
• Know how to find information on projects that might be of interest
• Be able to overcome barriers and grasp opportunities.

Key points:

• Research is an essential part of community pharmacy practice
• There are many benefits to pharmacy personnel getting involved with research
• Lots of resources exist to provide training and support for researchers, from novices to more experienced researchers
• Schools of pharmacy are a great first step in identifying people who could help community pharmacy technicians get involved with research
• There are many different ways to become involved in research, from being a research participant to leading your own study
• Research can be a fun, engaging and worthwhile activity for community pharmacy teams and their patients.

Authors: Professor Margaret Watson, founder & director of Watson Research and Training, and professor of health services research, University of Strathclyde, with contributions from Professor Alison Blenkinsopp