Director of Strategy and Pharmacy Transformation Blog -

new training opportunities for community pharmacy to participate in research

Getting Started in Research:

A New Opportunity for Community Pharmacy

Community pharmacies play a vital role in primary care, supporting people every day with medicines, long‑term conditions, prevention and self‑care.Yet many pharmacy professionals still see research as something that happens in hospitals or universities, rather than on the high street.

That is changing, and there has never been a better time for community pharmacies to start training to get involved in the future.

Primary care research is becoming increasingly important as health research shifts out of hospitals and into community settings where people actually receive most of their care.

In Greater Manchester, this has been strengthened by the establishment of a Primary Care Commercial Research Delivery Centre (CRDC), designed to increase local capacity to deliver high‑quality research quickly and safely across primary care. These centres support GP practices and partners to take part in research that improves services, reduces inequalities and brings innovation closer to patients.

As primary care research continues to grow, community pharmacy teams are well placed to engage – and gaining a basic understanding of research through NIHR’s free introductory courses is an important first step.

Why research matters in community pharmacy

Health and care research helps improve services, treatments and outcomes by generating evidence about what works best in real‑world settings. Community pharmacies are uniquely placed to contribute because they:

  • see large and diverse populations, including people who may not regularly access other NHS services,

  • support medicines optimisation, prevention and public health,

  • offer accessible, trusted healthcare in local communities.

NIHR‑supported research increasingly recognises community pharmacy as a key research setting in the near future , particularly for applied, preventive and population‑focused studies.

I’m not a researcher – can I still get involved?

Yes!  Many pharmacy professionals who take part in research start with little or no previous research experience. You do not need a PhD or an academic role.

The NIHR has now developed free, introductory learning specifically to help health and care professionals, including those working in community pharmacy, to understand what research is and how to get involved safely and confidently.

Free introductory NIHR courses: a simple place to start

The NIHR offers a suite of introductory online courses and resources designed for people who are new to health and care research. These courses are free and flexible, making them ideal for busy community pharmacy teams. [nihr.ac.uk]

Key courses worth knowing about

What is Health Research? (FutureLearn)

A short, beginner‑friendly course that explains:

  • What health research is and why it matters to patients and communities,

  • how people and professionals can get involved

  • This is a good starting point for anyone curious about research but unsure where to begin. [nihr.ac.uk]

Starting Out in Health and Social Care Research (FutureLearn)

Designed specifically for health and care professionals in any setting, including primary care and pharmacy. It introduces:

  • different types of research, how research fits into everyday practice and early steps towards involvement in studies.
    It is free for NHS and NHS‑affiliated staff, including community pharmacy professionals. [nihr.ac.uk]

Improving Healthcare Through Clinical Research (FutureLearn)

This course explores how treatments and services are developed, tested and evaluated, helping pharmacy teams understand where research evidence comes from and how it shapes practice. [nihr.ac.uk]

NIHR Learn: practical research skills for pharmacy teams

Alongside these courses, NIHR provides NIHR Learn, its free national learning platform. Community pharmacy professionals can create an account using a work or professional email address and access:

  • Introductory research skills e‑learning,

  • Good Clinical Practice (GCP) training,

  • other proportionate research training depending on role and involvement. [nihr.ac.uk], [nihr.ac.uk]

For those new to research, NIHR also hosts research‑skills modules developed with Royal Colleges, aimed at professionals with little or no prior research experience. [nihr.ac.uk]

What could research involvement look like in practice in the future?

For community pharmacy, research involvement may include:

  • supporting recruitment to studies relevant to medicines use or long‑term conditions,

  • contributing to service evaluations,

  • acting as a research‑active site in collaboration with local NIHR teams,

  • building confidence to explore future opportunities, such as internships or funded training.

Many pharmacy teams begin by learning the basics, then taking part in low‑burden studies supported by their local NIHR Research Delivery Network.

A realistic first step

If you work in community pharmacy and are curious about research, a simple starting pathway is:

  1. Complete one NIHR introductory course (2–3 hours total).

  2. Create an NIHR Learn account. Note: Please select the basic option so you don’t have to pay and can complete the course over several weeks.

  3. Explore what research opportunities exist locally in primary care and community settings.

  4. Decide, as a team, how research could support your service and patients.

Research is no longer “someone else’s job”. Community pharmacy is increasingly recognised as a crucial research setting, and NIHR’s free introductory courses make it easier than ever to take the first step so that we can create a research ready workforce in preparation for future opportunities.

Whether you want to better understand the evidence behind practice, contribute to improving services, or explore future roles in research, these NIHR resources are designed to help you start at your own pace.

Find out more and explore the courses here:

Introductory courses and resources for health and care research

Thanks so much for reading, and we hope to be in touch with opportunities in the future – so get started.

Luvjit Kandula FRPharmS MBA

Director of Strategy and Pharmacy Transformation

Community Pharmacy Greater Manchester