Case study: 'Research is constantly changing' - Angela's Story

Angela Yeomans has been qualified as a Pharmacy Technician for 40 years and for the last 20 years she has worked as a Senior Pharmacy Technician specialising in clinical studies.  

During that time,  she has seen the development of countless new drug treatments and knows first hand the difference they have made to patients. One such study was the PERSEPHONE trial which looked at the dosage and timing of the drug Herceptin, used to treat breast cancer.

“I worked on several studies for Herceptin, right from the start, through to seeing it used subcutaneously for patients. It’s hard to put into words the feeling that gives you.”

Angela has worked at The Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust since 1986, working in every area of pharmacy, and in her research role now works across both sites. She first became involved in research when it was part of her role as Dispensary Manager. Since then, she has worked on many different studies, across a wide range of specialties.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, she worked on the RECOVERY and Preg-Cov trials, which renewed her passion for research. Preg- Cov was the first vaccine study ever carried out at the Trust.

“The processes we developed during Covid really made me look at research with new eyes. We learnt to react quickly to review and improve what we were doing, and that has carried on until today. We really felt we were making a difference.”

Angela is excited about the future of research and feels that it brings benefits to patients and to the Trust. “Artificial Intelligence is going to make a big difference to how we operate in the future - research is constantly changing, which is what makes it so interesting and rewarding.

“Many people get into it by accident and find they enjoy it, but I feel it should be higher profile for students in all healthcare disciplines because there is nothing like seeing new drug treatments you have worked on being adopted.”

With this in mind, Angela has created a training package for Pharmacy staff which encourages them to get involved and get a taste of the world of research.

“We currently have 10 new studies about to open, which can be a challenge with a small team, but we work closely with our SaTH Colleagues and the Clinical Research Network West Midlands and appreciate their support. adopted. 

“I would encourage anyone interested in research to seek out their research pharmacy team and ask for more information.”

Interested in signing up to research?  Find out more on the Be Part of Research website.  

You can find information on research at the Trust on this link.