Community pharmacy practice in the UK is undergoing its most significant transformation in decades. With the successful rollout of minor ailment services in all UK nations, the expansion of independent prescribing and the delivery of advanced clinical services — key pillars of the NHS ten-year health plan — pharmacists are increasingly recognised as the clinically active front line of the NHS. Yet, despite this evolution, there remains a vital frontier where the sector’s potential is largely untapped: clinical research.
As two clinical academics working in hospital-based research, we frequently encounter the bottleneck of recruiting representative patient cohorts for trials. Traditional recruitment methods often fail to reach diverse community populations. This is where community pharmacy holds a unique advantage. With about 1.6 million people visiting pharmacies in England each day, the sector offers unparalleled accessibility. Patients also visit their community pharmacy nearly twice as often as their GP, creating a high-trust environment ideal for introducing research participation.
It is to bridge this gap that we established the Community Pharmacy Research Network (CPRN) through Co-MedX Ltd. Our mission is to integrate clinical trials, particularly commercial study into the community pharmacy service portfolio, making participation simple, accessible and professionally rewarding.
We understand that workload is a major barrier. Therefore, the CPRN model is designed to fit seamlessly into daily workflows without disrupting core services or dispensing duties. The pharmacy’s role focuses on identification and signposting rather than complex clinical management. By leveraging routine interactions — such as Pharmacy First, the new medicines service (NMS), blood pressure checks or vaccinations — pharmacists can identify potential participants. The process involves a simple introduction of the study and a brief pre-screen using eligibility criteria we provide. Patients are then referred to our dedicated research clinic study physicians, who oversee all formal enrolment and safety monitoring.
Crucially, we believe that research participation must be sustainable. It is not voluntary work; it is a professional service. We ensure that all network partners are fully compensated through a transparent fee schedule, covering set-up, training and activity-based fees for screening and referrals. Beyond the financial arrangement, joining the network offers pharmacies a chance to build professional links with academic institutions and differentiate themselves as hubs of clinical excellence. For community pharmacists looking to diversify their careers, this creates a practical and supported route into the field of clinical research.
Currently, we are opening recruitment for trials across key therapeutic areas relevant to primary care, including hypertension, heart failure, asthma, COPD and type 2 diabetes mellitus. This aligns perfectly with the clinical services many pharmacies already deliver.
We are actively seeking to collaborate with General Pharmaceutical Council-registered pharmacies, particularly those in London at this stage, to join us as founding partners. By bringing research into the heart of the community, we can improve patient access to cutting-edge care while further elevating the professional standing of community pharmacy.
Xiaoyu Yang, co-founder, Co-MedX; clinical research physician, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust; clinical trial manager, Imperial College London; principle clinician, Clario; clinical specialist, IQVIA
Shyun Ping Tiong, co-founder, Co-MedX; National Institute for Health and Care Research academic clinical fellow in respiratory medicine, Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, University of East Anglia.
Conflict of interest disclosure
The authors are the co-founders of Co-MedX. The views expressed in this letter are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, Imperial College London, Clario, IQVIA, Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, the University of East Anglia, National Institute for Health and Care Research or the NHS.
