27 October 2022
(Last updated: 11 Mar 2026 11:15)
E-learning series for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians to develop their skills and knowledge in clinical research.
New clinical research e-learning series for pharmacy professionals
The Association of Pharmacy Technicians UK (APTUK) has been working with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), to launch the first e-learning module in a series for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians to develop their skills and knowledge in clinical research.
A total of nine e-learning modules will be released by the end of 2022 to improve clinical research awareness, knowledge, and skills for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians with little or no experience of research or research opportunities.
The aim is to improve the capacity of pharmacy professionals to provide the evidence base to improve the practice of pharmacy and the health of the public.
The modules cover a range of topics including:
- What research is
- How to turn ideas into a research project
- Different research methods
- Practical considerations when undertaking research
The e-learning modules will be accessible via the NIHR e-learning platform. You will need to set up an account, ideally using a work/professional/university email address from the list of pre-approved domains. If you don’t have one of these email addresses, it may just take a bit longer for your application to be approved.
Each module takes 45 minutes to complete and they can be done as single episodes of learning, or as a full set.
RPS President Professor Claire Anderson said:
“Many pharmacy professionals are rather daunted by getting involved in research. Indeed, we have heard from pharmacists undertaking our post-registration credentialing assessments that the Research domain can present a real challenge. However, we believe it’s important that all pharmacy professionals have the opportunity to engage in research activities, not only to develop professionally, but also to contribute to and build on the pharmacy evidence base. We hope these e-learning modules will give you the confidence to start getting involved in research activities as part of your day-to-day practice.”
Chief Pharmaceutical Officer for England, David Webb said:
“These accessible e-learning modules offer a valuable opportunity for pharmacy professionals to learn more about contributing to, participating in and leading research – enabling a positive impact on patient care and professional skills and equipping pharmacists and pharmacy technicians for the future.”
President of the Association of Pharmacy Technicians UK, Claire Steele said:
“APTUK is delighted to have been involved at all stages of the development of these excellent research e-learning modules to support pharmacy technicians to develop research skills. This is a fantastic example of how partnership working can produce development opportunities for pharmacy professionals with a real focus on improving pharmacy practice and importantly, benefiting our patients and communities.”
Director of Programmes and Impact at NIHR Academy, Dr Pete Thompson said:
“The new online resources that will be generated from this initiative will provide opportunities to engage clinicians who may not have experience of research and allow them to gain new skills to enable them to feel more confident to engage with research and research opportunities.”
Please follow this link to find out more: https://www.rpharms.com/development/research-and-evaluation/nihr-e-learning
Follow this link to take the first learning module
The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) and NIHR recently published a position statement which sets out recommendations for making research part of everyday practice for all clinicians. You can read the statement here: Making research everybody's business