Science and research

Pharmaceutical science is continually evolving, and pharmacy practice must keep pace to ensure safe, effective patient care. As the professional leadership body, the Royal College of Pharmacy fosters scientific knowledge within the pharmacy community and supports pharmacists in building their skills and improving services through participation in research.

Pharmacists apply advanced scientific knowledge and clinical reasoning to assess patients, evaluate risk and benefit, and make evidence-based prescribing and treatment decisions across increasingly complex therapeutic pathways.

Ongoing innovations in medicines and technologies — from mRNA vaccines to personalised treatments — reinforce the importance of maintaining up-to-date scientific expertise.

Our science and research team maintains and develops the College’s knowledge base, ensuring members can access authoritative, evidence-led and up-to-date information to inform practice. This strengthens clinical decision-making and supports pharmacy’s contribution to high-quality care. Beyond advancing science within pharmacy practice, our journals provide world-leading, evidence-based learning for health professionals in the UK and internationally.

Supporting research skills and capability across pharmacy

Research led by pharmacists is essential to improving understanding of medicines use and patient care. Through their scientific training and access to patients across all settings and communities, pharmacists are uniquely placed to generate insight that strengthens care, improves patient outcomes and helps to address health inequalities.

We promote the development of research skills for pharmacists. Research is a core pillar of NHS clinical practice and one of the five domains within our credentialing framework, supporting professional progression and development at all levels.

We support pharmacists across the research journey, from funding applications through to preparation for PhD vivas. This includes a suite of resources, publications and access to our Research e-Learning modules for pharmacy researchers (funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research).

Research is also central to our annual conference, where peer-reviewed abstracts are selected for presentation and members are encouraged to share learning through oral and poster sessions.

Informing policy and public understanding

Our science and research work informs royal college policy and advocacy, ensuring our positions are grounded in robust evidence. We work in partnership with members and external experts, including leading scientists, researchers and practitioners from academia and industry.

In our role as the Royal College of Pharmacy, we also provide authoritative information for the general public. In an age of misinformation, access to trusted, evidence-based advice on medicines and health is more important than ever.