From PCN to PhD: Why should pharmacists get involved in research?

Pharmacist Tom Kallis combines patient care with academic interests – practicing one day a week in a general practice and the remainder of the time working on a PhD entitled ‘polypharmacy, pharmacists and clinical uncertainty’.

‘Traditionally, pharmacists are quite underrepresented in the world of research,’ he tells The Pharmacist.

But with research skills embedded in the pharmacist undergraduate programme, Tom says the profession is well-placed to integrate research into their workplaces.

‘We think differently to other healthcare professionals, we do have those scientific skills, which a lot of healthcare professionals don't have so heavily in their initial training,’ the former community pharmacist says.

And he suggests that research skills can be ‘absolutely fantastic’ in terms of career development.

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‘As we move into the realm of advanced clinical practice, research is one of those four advanced pillars that we have to demonstrate,’ Tom says.

While advanced roles like being a consultant pharmacist are well established in fields like antimicrobial resistance and secondary care, they are less available in primary care, despite the variety of clinical expertise in this setting, Tom adds.

‘We've got a real case to make as a profession. We're autonomous clinicians. If we can integrate research with our practice, that can inform our practice and deliver better outcomes for our patients. And it also gives the opportunity for us to develop and be recognised as consultants in the future.

‘In terms of career progression, I think that would be an absolutely fantastic thing, but we're a long way from it at the moment,’ Tom says.

Want to get involved in pharmacy research? Tom Kallis gives his top tips for getting started

Pharmacists need to see themselves as ‘very much equitable partners in producing evidence which can help improve practice’, Tom says.

His own journey into academia was ‘incredibly torturous’, he says, ‘because there's no set career pathway for pharmacists’.

But he says that for pharmacists currently looking to get into research, ‘the time is now’.

‘Have a chat to some of your local research leads. There's very much a big drive from the NIHR around having more pharmacists in research,’ Tom says.

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‘There are ways for pharmacists to get involved with research without having to give everything up and have a radical change,’ he suggests.

Pharmacists can get involved in research delivery via networks like the NIHR’s research delivery networks (RDNs), as well as any research that a GP practice might be involved with.

But he says that more could be done to support pharmacists to ‘dip their toe in the water of research alongside their clinical roles’.

To develop research skills, he suggests applying for funding through Pharmacy Research UK, which enables clinicians to undertake training modules and courses.

Employers can also play a big role in supporting their employees by freeing up their time to allow them to attend courses, encouraging them to apply for opportunities, and linking research with career progression around advanced practice.

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Tom suggests patients, pharmacists and employers could benefit from pharmacists being involved in research.

‘It makes me it makes me think very differently around evidence and around how I practise. I think, certainly I hope that my research will ultimately inform better practice. ‘

And good research that leads to improved practice ‘ultimately will enhance the care that we deliver and the outcomes we get from patients’, he adds.