Experiences of establishing and maintaining a community pharmacy research network

Abstract

The objectives are to describe the establishment of a community pharmacy research network, to give an overview of projects undertaken, to address issues around recruitment, maintenance and support, to report the findings of three postal surveys of pharmacy staff who participated in the network, and to explore views and attitudes towards research. Three self-completion questionnaires were distributed to staff in network community pharmacies over a three-year period. The questionnaires consisted of statements on attitudes to research and experiences of participating in research projects. Demographic information (employment status, gender, etc) were also collected. Network community pharmacies in the north of England participated in five research projects. The response rates to the staff surveys ranged from 100% to 53%. Staff showed high levels of interest in research and enjoyed the variety of participating in projects with different data collection techniques. More than half of the sample felt that participating in research had improved relationships between staff and customers in their pharmacy. A similar percentage also felt that the quality of the advice they gave to customers improved as a result of involvement in specific projects. Data from both the projects and the questionnaires suggest that the network has achieved its aim of involving more community pharmacists in research. Further, despite changes in personnel in some of the pharmacies, attrition was low and pharmacists and their staff appeared motivated to continue their involvement in research.