Top ten articles of 2024 from the Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s research journals

The role of research in pharmacy, especially as the profession globally shifts from a “supply role to a more holistic clinical cognitive paradigm” has never been more important^​1​. The four research journals of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS), published in partnership is Oxford University Press, are a trusted source of rigorously peer-reviewed research in pharmacy practice and pharmaceutical sciences. All RPS members can access the content of the RPS research journals for free as part of their membership benefits. 

Pharmacy practice and health services research 

The International Journal of Pharmacy Practice (IJPP) is a source of high-quality pharmacy practice research specifically as it relates to any aspect of the medication use process while Journal of Pharmaceutical and Health Services Research (JPHSR) supports research that identifies the most effective ways to manage, govern, finance and deliver high-quality pharmaceutical services to improve public health.

The following are the top five most popular articles on pharmacy practice and health services research published in IJPP and JPHSR in 2024:

1. ‘Experiences of community pharmacists in the UK on the provision of travel health services and associated educational requirements‘, Larry Goodyer et al.;
2. ‘Digital literacy education for UK undergraduate pharmacy students: a mixed-methods study‘, Mashael Alowais et al.;
3. ‘Can we do better? Sustainability and efficiency in intervention development and implementation‘, Carmel M Hughes et al.;
4. ‘Impact of increasing number of mental health conditions on healthcare costs and resource utilization among individuals with type 2 diabetes: a cross-sectional study‘, Mark Bounthavong et al.;
5. ‘Pharmaceutical industry promotional activities on social media: a scoping review‘, Jessica Mor et al.

To provide a curated collection of research article on topics of immediate relevance to the pharmacy community, calls for papers on the following topics are currently open in IJPP and JPHSR:  

• Innovative methods for pharmacy practice research;
• Role of pharmacy education and pharmacy practice in developing pharmacists as researchers;
• Climate, nature and pollution crises: how more sustainable medicines use can make a difference;
• Transparency and accountability in pharmaceutical and health systems;
• Exceptional access for innovative pharmaceuticals: health care and socio-political issues.

Pharmaceutical sciences

The Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology (JPP) and RPS Pharmacy and Pharmacology Reports (RPSPPR) publish research across the breadth of pharmaceutical sciences research, including: pharmaceutics and drug delivery; experimental and clinical pharmacology; biopharmaceutics and drug disposition; and drugs from natural sources. While JPP aims to publish high-impact pharmaceutical sciences research, RPSPPR aims to be an inclusive, open-access venue to publish all scientifically sound research that advances the pharmacy and pharmacology field.

The following are the top five most popular articles on pharmacology and pharmaceutics published in JPP and RPSPPR in 2024:

1. ‘Phloretin: a comprehensive review of its potential against diabetes and associated complications‘, A.B Gaikwad et al.;
2. ‘Exploring various measures of the area under the curve for the assessment of dose-proportionality and estimation of bioavailability’, Brian E Davies et al.;
3. ‘Preparation, characteristic, biological activities, and application of polysaccharide from Lilii Bulbus: a review‘, Y. Fan et al.;
4. ‘Incompatibility of Y-site-administered drugs: the case of acyclovir and ciprofloxacin‘, Ahcène Boumendjel et al.;
5. ‘A systematic review of aspects of NUDT15 pharmacogenomic variants and thiopurine-induced myelosuppression‘, Rachel Palmer et al.

RPSPPR currently has an open call for papers on: 

• Drugs from natural products.

Increasing trust and impact of pharmacy research 

All the RPS research journals are members of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and follow ethical publishing policies aligned with their best practice standards. The RPS journals provide a fair and robust peer review process to all our submissions and we are continually improving the quality of our peer-review processes to protect the integrity of the scientific record. For example, in 2024 we enhanced screening at the initial stages of manuscript assessment and have implemented stricter data reporting requirements in JPP and RPSPPR.

Our editors regularly curate collections on topics of interest to the community, such as the JPHSR key research collection that illuminates the breadth and scope of the research published in JPHSR.

Parastou Donyai, chief scientist at the RPS, has continued to highlight current pharmacy research themes — such as whether pharmacy is fully versed in the intricacies of research ethics and how science is used the practice of pharmacy — in her monthly opinion column, which serves as a commentary on papers published in the RPS journals. 

We continue to recognise early-career pharmacy researchers who have made significant contributions to the field of pharmacy practice, health services or pharmaceutical sciences through the ‘Outstanding Pharmacy Early-Career Researcher Award’ (OPERA). Nominations for OPERA 2025 are now open and you can nominate your winner here. 

The RPS research journals continue to serve the pharmacy community in advancing the science and practice of pharmacy. We would like to thank the editors-in-chief, editorial board members, reviewers, authors and readers of the RPS research journals and look forward to their continued support in 2025.