Integration of pharmacy practice research in the Dutch pharmacy education continuum

Pharmacy practice research is vital for evidence-based pharmaceutical care. Despite broad recognition of its value, it is unclear how pharmacy practice research skills should systematically be addressed in pharmacy education. This paper elaborates on how research is embedded in undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate pharmacy education in the Netherlands and how this is put into pharmacy practice, and provides recommendations for further development of pharmacy practice research education. Utrecht University is taken as an example for undergraduate and graduate pharmacy education in the Netherlands. The bachelor's phase provides a strong scientific foundation and systematic training in research skills, while the master's emphasizes clinical and practice-oriented learning. Pharmacy practice research assignments are embedded throughout master-level rotations in community and hospital pharmacies, engaging students and supervising pharmacists in real-world research. This model familiarizes future pharmacists early on by engaging with practice-based research questions, collecting and interpreting data, and reflecting on their implications. After graduation, research and quality improvement remain core components of postgraduate specialization for both community and hospital pharmacists, although time pressures and workload limit routine involvement in practice-based research. Strengthening national coordination of research priorities, systematically linking student projects to high-quality practice research, and investing in doctor of philosophy pathways for community pharmacists could build sustainable research capacity. Together, these measures would more closely integrate education, research, and practice and thereby advance evidence-based pharmaceutical care in the Netherlands.