Objective: Consultant pharmacists in the United Kingdom are appointed to lead across four pillars of advanced practice: clinical expertise, leadership, education, and research. Despite research being an expectation of the role, limited evidence exists on the nature and extent of research engagement in this group. We aimed to explore the research activity, readiness, and associated challenges and enablers experienced by consultant pharmacists in North England.
Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 consultant pharmacists across primary and secondary care settings. Participants were recruited through professional networks and snowball sampling. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using template analysis. A hierarchical coding template was iteratively developed and applied to identify key themes.
Key findings: Five themes were identified: (1) Research skillset, (2) Job planning and time allocation, (3) Intrinsic motivation and resilience, (4) Structural barriers and enablers, and (5) Reach and influence. While participants demonstrated strong internal motivation to engage in research, many cited limited protected time, complex governance structures, and a lack of pharmacy-specific mentorship as barriers. Research activity was often deprioritized for clinical responsibilities. Participants frequently worked outside contracted hours to pursue research and often sought mentorship from other professions. Nonetheless, consultant pharmacists were seen to champion research culture, mentor junior staff, and influence practice through local and national dissemination of research.
Conclusions: Consultant pharmacists are well positioned to advance applied research in pharmacy, but current systemic and cultural barriers must be addressed to fully realize their potential. Structured support, research training, clearer frameworks, and protected time are essential to sustain research engagement.
Keywords: education; professional practice; professional training; research method; workforce.
© The Author(s) 2025. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society.