Drawing on insights from three pharmacists in England, this expert commentary examines the barriers and enablers to embedding research in everyday pharmacy practice. It highlights key lessons and practical tips for pharmacists to action, as well as the system-level changes needed to strengthen capacity and foster a culture in which research is an expectation, not an aspiration.
Research is recognised as one of the four pillars of advanced pharmacy practice in the UK, alongside clinical care, leadership/management and education. Yet relatively few pharmacy professionals are actively involved.
Our recent qualitative study sought to better understand this gap by exploring how advanced pharmacists, specifically consultant pharmacists, engage with research in practice.
Semi-structured interviews with consultant pharmacists across primary and secondary care in the north of England revealed a consistent pattern. Participants were highly motivated, with many actively contributing to research as principal investigators, collaborators and mentors.
However, their engagement was constrained by systemic barriers, including limited protected time, complex governance processes and a lack of pharmacy-specific mentorship.
Research was often undertaken outside contracted hours and was frequently deprioritised in favour of immediate clinical demands.
Despite these challenges, many participants demonstrated considerable reach and influence, using research to shape local services, contribute to national conversations and act as role models for others.
This combination of high motivation and limited structural support highlights both the potential and the fragility of the current research landscape.
Although our study focused on one region in England, the findings resonate internationally. Terminology differs, as the ‘consultant pharmacist’ title is not universally used, but the challenge of embedding research within pharmacy practice is widely shared.
The question, therefore, is not whether pharmacists can contribute to and lead research, but how systems can better enable them to do so.
Research as a core professional identity
The expanding role of pharmacists in healthcare systems is reflected in global professional frameworks. In 1997, the World Health Organization and the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) described the ‘seven-star pharmacist’ as a caregiver, decision-maker, communicator, manager, life-long learner, teacher and leader.
This evolved into the ‘nine-star pharmacist’, with the 2015 addition of researcher and entrepreneur to their defined roles.
This expansion represents more than a conceptual update; it is a statement of intent. Pharmacists are expected not only to apply evidence, but also to generate it.
Importantly, we feel that this does not imply that all pharmacists must lead large-scale clinical trials. Rather, research should be considered as a continuum from critical appraisal, clinical audit and service evaluation through to leading funded studies and formal programmes.
For advanced and specialist pharmacists, this expectation is heightened. These roles operate at the intersection of clinical complexity, innovation and system leadership. As such, they are uniquely placed, and arguably obligated, to contribute to the evidence base underpinning medicines optimisation and patient care.
What can we learn from current practice?
Despite strong policy signals, research remains inconsistently integrated into advanced pharmacy roles, which highlight several key lessons:
- Role ambiguity limits engagement
Where research expectations are implicit rather than explicit, they are frequently deprioritised. Many pharmacist roles reference research in principle, but lack defined responsibilities, outputs or accountability, rendering it discretionary rather than integral.
- Capability exists, but opportunity does not
Pharmacists are increasingly trained in research methods, yet this capability is often underutilised. Participants in our study often had postgraduate qualifications or extensive experience but still struggled to engage due to a lack of time, infrastructure and organisational support.
- Research is often siloed from practice
Research activity is frequently separated from clinical workflows, reinforcing the perception of it as an add-on rather than part of routine care. However, our participants were primarily motivated to do research that directly improved patient care and services.
- Career pathways remain unclear
Pharmacists interested in research often encounter fragmented or poorly defined career paths, particularly outside formal academic settings, which limits sustained engagement and progression.
What can be done differently to support research?
Based on our study findings, we have five recommendations with top tips for ways in which pharmacists’ involvement in research can be formalised, embraced and actioned.
1. Make it an explicit component of pharmacists’ roles
Clearly define research responsibilities in job descriptions and appraisal systems, including:
- Expected contributions aligned with organisational priorities (e.g. service evaluation, knowledge mobilisation, grant applications)
- Specific outcomes and metrics.
Top tip: If research is not written into the role, it is unlikely to happen consistently. Therefore, include objectives in job descriptions and annual appraisal frameworks.
2. Protect time
Without dedicated time, research will always be secondary to operational pressures. In our study, lack of protected time was a major barrier, with many pharmacists conducting it outside contracted hours.
As such, effective models include:
- Ring-fenced sessions within job plans
- Joint clinical–academic appointments
- Intercalated study or rotational research time.
Top tip: Even small, consistent allocations of protected time can make a meaningful difference.
3. Invest in mentorship and collaboration
A notable finding was reliance on mentorship outside pharmacy, often from medical colleagues, due to a lack of profession-specific research role models. This highlights the need for the prioritisation of this specific mentorship within the profession, which can be achieved via multiple avenues such as:
- Formal mentorship programmes
- Partnerships with academic institutions
- Engagement with research networks through organisations such as FIP.
On a smaller scale, peer support through research groups, communities of practice and writing collaboratives that enable shared learning can be effective approaches.
Top tip: Develop mentorship capacity for pharmacists to support sustainable growth. Pair novice researchers with both a clinical and an academic mentor to bridge theory and practice.
4. Embed it into everyday clinical work
Research should arise from real-world clinical questions. Our participants valued examples that directly influenced local practice and patient outcomes. Such opportunities include:
- Service evaluations using routine clinical data
- Quality improvement and audit projects
- Multidisciplinary research collaborations
- Journal clubs and evidence-based practice activities to support critical appraisal and knowledge mobilisation.
Top tip: Start with small, practice-based questions. These often produce the most relevant and impactful research while building confidence and capability in applying these skills in practice.
5. Support continuous research skill development
Confidence in research develops through experience and formal training. Participants emphasised the importance of learning by doing, supported by structured and funded development opportunities. Effective approaches include:
- Longitudinal clinical–academic pathways or internships that build skills over time
- Work-based research learning through service evaluations, audits or clinical studies in practice settings
- Support for postgraduate study (e.g. MSc, PhD, or accredited modules)
- Progression into research leadership roles, such as principal investigator or site lead.
Top tip: Link skill development to live projects and service priorities. Learning is most effective when applied in context and supported by existing infrastructure, such as research and development offices, clinical research networks and academic partnerships.
From aspiration to expectation
If research is to become a sustainable component of advanced pharmacy practice globally, three principles are essential:
- It must be expected, not exceptional
- It should be embedded in everyday practice rather than treated as an optional add-on
- Pharmacists require time, mentorship, infrastructure and a supportive culture to enable participation.
Our findings reinforce that pharmacists are ready and willing to engage. The challenge now lies with systems, organisations and professional bodies to create the conditions for research to thrive.
National frameworks can legitimise and coordinate pharmacy research. In the UK, the emerging Pharmacy Research Strategy, to be published by the Pharmacy Research Professionals Incubator once approved, reflects growing recognition of the need to build research capacity across the profession.
It suggests that organisations and policymakers should embed research within roles and workforce strategies, invest in infrastructure and mentorship, and recognise and reward research within career progression.
Advice for individual pharmacists underlines the need for curiosity and to proactively seek formal and informal opportunities to develop research skills, starting with questions from individual practice.
This includes building stepwise from audit and quality improvement to larger studies and leadership roles, seeking collaboration and mentorship within and beyond pharmacy to support this.
The future of pharmacy depends not only on delivering excellent care, but on continuously improving it. Research is the mechanism through which this happens.
By enabling pharmacists to fully realise their role as researchers, the profession can move from simply using evidence to actively shaping it and improving care and outcomes for patients worldwide.
Authors
Justine Tomlinson PhD
Assistant professor, School of Pharmacy, Optometry and Medical Sciences, University of Bradford, UK
Suzanne Hill PhD
Assistant professor and embedded researcher, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, UK
Hazel Jamieson MSc
Training programme director for advanced practice, NHS England, and embedded pharmacist researcher, South Yorkshire Integrated Care Board, UK
