The department's Primary Care Clinical Trials Unit has partnered with Boots to test whether community pharmacies can serve as effective sites for clinical trial recruitment, following the shift in patient pathways brought about by NHS Pharmacy First.
A Boots store in Durham Market Place is now recruiting women with urinary tract infection (UTI) symptoms to the DURATION trial, which investigates optimal antibiotic treatment durations to help tackle antimicrobial resistance. The store will invite customers presenting with UTI symptoms to take part in the research.
The pilot responds to a practical challenge created by NHS Pharmacy First, launched in England in 2024. The policy enables pharmacists to diagnose and treat seven common conditions, including UTIs – meaning patients who would previously have visited their GP now increasingly access treatment through community pharmacies instead. For trials that have traditionally recruited through general practice, this represents a significant change in where potential participants can be found.
Read the full story on the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences website.