The state of science and research in clinical pharmacy

In late 2002, the president of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP), Mary Beth O’Connell, Pharm.D., charged the ACCP Research Affairs Committee with developing a White Paper on The State of Science and Research in Clinical Pharmacy. Its purpose would be to address the current state of research conducted by clinical pharmacists in terms of prevalence, scope, funding, location, and impact; describe the current state of research training for clinical pharmacists; envision the state of research conducted by future clinical pharmacists in 2030 and the training required for these future scientists, if ACCP’s vision is to be realized; describe any gaps that exist between current and envisioned states of clinical pharmacy research; and formulate recommendations to the profession and to ACCP in order to narrow any identified gaps. Member surveys, additional research, and committee deliberations in preparation for this White Paper began in October 2002. It is in accordance with these goals the following observations, analyses, and recommendations have been developed.