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The UK’s Institute of Clinical Research (ICR) has launched a career booklet to provide information to those wishing to enter the pharmacy profession or pharmacy staff seeking a career move.
The booklet is also available as a free e-book (ISBN: 9781905238491) on the professional body’s website.
The booklet, entitled To be a pharmacy professional in clinical research, was produced by the ICR’s pharmacy special interest group (SIG) and discusses various roles open to the pharmacy professional working in clinical research in the UK.
Pharmacy SIG chairman John Gilroy said the booklet was produced to help those with two to three years’ broad pharmacy experience make crucial decisions about the next steps in their careers.
Mr Gilroy went on: “There are many advantages of going into clinical research for a pharmacy professional. It is a career area that offers many rewards professionally.
Pharmacists could opt to work to protect patients and the public, be involved in problem-solving and regulation implementation, or be a part of a multi-disciplinary team working with a wide range of professionals outside the pharmacy arena.
The pharmacy SIG has also produced a policy template document for safe handling of clinical trial medicines within NHS trusts.
He said this had been created to further safeguard patients, healthcare professionals and the trust, and ensure procedures were understood and correctly followed.
Mr Gilroy added: “Pharmacy professionals must ensure that any medicine used in a trial is appropriate for use and procured, handled, stored, used safely and correctly and disposed of appropriately.
“They must also ensure that the medicine can be accounted for through all of these stages.
“With so many important elements in the process, it is essential that nothing is overlooked.”
The ICR has many special interest groups and established the pharmacy SIG ten years ago to raise the profile of pharmacy personnel working in clinical research, to develop training programmes and provide a support network specifically for pharmacy-related issues.
It comprises pharmacists and pharmacy technicians from the hospital pharmacy service.
