The University of Oxford's Primary Care Clinical Trials Unit has partnered with Boots to test whether community pharmacies can maintain clinical trial recruitment, as primary care pathways for certain common conditions shift from GP surgeries to community pharmacy.
A Boots store in Durham Market Place is recruiting women with urinary tract infection (UTI) symptoms to the DURATION trial, which investigates optimal antibiotic treatment durations to tackle antimicrobial resistance. The store will recruit participants to the trial by asking customers presenting with UTI symptoms to take part in the research project.
The new study follows the launch of NHS Pharmacy First in England in 2024, which enables pharmacists to diagnose and treat seven common conditions including UTIs. This means that patients who would previously have consulted their GP for these conditions now increasingly access treatment through community pharmacies instead.
Lucy Cureton, Senior Trial Manager at Oxford's Primary Care Clinical Trials Unit said: "The introduction of the Pharmacy First pathway has been hugely beneficial. However, it has fundamentally changed where patients present with UTI symptoms. This presents a challenge to Primary Care clinical trials, where GP surgeries are a key location for recruiting participants. We want to show that our research can pivot alongside the changing landscape of healthcare delivery."
Heather Elliot, Director of Life Sciences and Clinical Trials, said: "This partnership demonstrates how community pharmacies can contribute to nationally important research whilst delivering expanded clinical services. Our colleagues in Durham are proud to be part of this pilot and to play a role in this important work to address antimicrobial resistance through both evidence-based prescribing and active research participation."
The DURATION trial, funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research, addresses a critical evidence gap in antimicrobial resistance. With over four million UTI prescriptions issued annually in the UK, but limited evidence on optimal treatment length, current practice risks unnecessarily prolonged antibiotic use – a key driver of resistance development.
It aims to recruit 1,650 women across primary and secondary care settings, randomising women with bladder infections (cystitis) to receive commonly prescribed antibiotics for varying durations, and women with kidney infections (pyelonephritis) to comparable treatments for different periods. Participants complete symptom diaries and provide urine samples to assess both clinical recovery and resistance development up to 42 days after treatment.
The pilot follows Oxford's pandemic experience with pharmacy recruitment in trials like PRINCIPLE. However, Pharmacy First represents a permanent shift requiring systematic adaptation. Boots is uniquely positioned to test this approach, combining high street presence and public trust with established clinical infrastructure across 1,800 stores.
The pilot will assess whether recruitment rates and data quality match GP-based recruitment, addressing practical questions around workflow management, consent processes, and sample collection logistics.
Recruitment continues across GP practices and secondary care settings until February 2026, with results expected by year end. The findings will inform national and international prescribing guidelines for UTI treatment duration.