Researchers at universities across Scotland are involved in considering how best to target service provision to maximise health gains. They are also looking to identify any gaps in provision. Specifically, this project aims to provide information which could inform policy to ensure that patients' needs continue to be met in the future.

The work has a particular focus on preventable illnesses, which can be linked to lifestyle choices and health behaviours- such as heart disease and diabetes- and is being carried out in the context of the changing role of community pharmacists, whose duties have in recent years become more clinically-centred and more directly focused on patient care.

Researchers at Strathclyde are working with colleagues at the Universities of Aberdeen, Dundee, Stirling and Glasgow, as well as NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and Community Pharmacy Scotland. The 10-month research network is being funded by a grant worth £49,998 from the Medical Research Council under the lifelong health and wellbeing program.

Dr Wendy Gidman, a Senior Lecturer with the Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, who is leading the research, said: "Many deaths and serious illnesses in Scotland could be avoided through early detection and interventions which help people to change behaviour which affects their health.

“We are looking at what pharmacists throughout the whole of the UK are delivering, how they are delivering it and how it works, to identify best practice. We are interested in developing and designing effective and workable solutions to target health problems in Scotland.

"We want to ensure that services meet patient needs- currently, there are quite widely differing services across the country. Some services are more appropriate for pharmacy outlets than others, so we'll be examining what’s being offered already throughout Scotland and looking to explore variation.

"Practice based commissioning has resulted in a diverse range of services across England and Wales but delivery is not guaranteed. The approach in Scotland has been to focus more in the way of national service provision- we aim to explore the best way of operating services which are most relevant and beneficial to Scottish communities."

The research is focusing on areas which can have a significant lifelong impact on health, such as smoking cessation. There has already been extensive uptake of services offered by community pharmacists in these fields and the researchers aim to consider the evidence of the effectiveness and efficiency of these programs.

The project will be considering whether the range of community pharmacy services needs to be expanded and identifying ways in which specific services could be delivered uniformly across Scotland.

Dr Gidman said: "The role of pharmacists has expanded massively in recent years and they are increasingly involved in advising patients on medicines' use and health behaviours, as well as screening services. We're looking to develop an evidence base which can help them strengthen their role, enhance the excellent work they already do and have a positive impact on Scotland's public health.

"We aim to do so by identifying areas where services can be targeted in the most effective and efficient way towards those patients most in need. We're also seeking examples of good practice from other parts of the UK which could be adapted to the Scottish context for the further benefit of patients."

The research project is a multi-disciplinary venture, involving experts in pharmacy, health service research, health psychology, health economics, public and population health, statistics and design, as well as clinicians and those working in health policy.

The Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences is currently the subject of an £8 million fundraising campaign for a £36 million new building to expand and enhance its work in developing new medicines for diseases including heart disease, cancer, infectious diseases and schizophrenia