Ask to take part

Contact the study team using the details below to take part. If there are no contact details below please ask your doctor in the first instance.

Contact Information:

Prof Yolanda Eraso
+44 20 7133 2623
y.eraso@londonmet.ac.uk


Study Location:

Find another location


Questions to ask
Skip to Main Content
English | Cymraeg
Be Part of Research - Trial Details - ENABLE: Medication brand changes in hormone therapy for breast cancer
Back

ENABLE: Medication brand changes in hormone therapy for breast cancer

Recruiting

Open to: All Genders

Age: Adult

London

Medical Conditions

Hormone therapy for breast cancer

This information is provided directly by researchers, and we recognise that it isn't always easy to understand. We are working with researchers to improve the accessibility of this information. In some summaries, you may come across links to external websites. These websites will have more information to help you better understand the study.


Annually, 55,900 women are diagnosed with invasive breast cancer. After completing surgery, chemotherapy or radiation, around 44,720 (80%) are prescribed hormone therapy (HT) drugs (tamoxifen, anastrozole, letrozole, exemestane). These drugs help in preventing the cancer coming back (recurrence) or spreading to other parts of the body (metastasis). When patients are prescribed HT they take it as a daily tablet, usually for five years and in some cases for up to ten. HT medication produces a considerable amount of side effects: hot flashes, depression, low sexual desire, joint pain, low energy and tiredness among other bothersome symptoms. As a consequence, some women stop taking the medication early (discontinue) or do not take it as prescribed (poor adherence). Around 50% of women have poor adherence by five years. There are many factors that influence women to completely stop or not take their HT drugs as indicated. Our preliminary research has identified that changing the medication brand name (generics) can be challenging for patients. It is common practice for community pharmacies to dispense a different generic of the same drug when patients collect their prescriptions. This can negatively impact many patients, who experience: new side effects, lack of information on generics, feel unsupported, and encounter disbelief from healthcare professionals. This affects in turn women’s confidence in taking their medication, e.g. when women search for their preferred brand, they do not take the medication or stop taking it if they cannot find a brand that suits them. Pharmacists suggest that training and guidelines would be needed for them to support these patients. However, to date no effective intervention exists to address patients’ concerns with HT generic switching.
Aim: Supported by a breast cancer patient advisory group and key stakeholders, we will co-produce an intervention to improve medication consultations about HT brand changes.

Start dates may differ between countries and research sites. The research team are responsible for keeping the information up-to-date.  

The recruitment start and end dates are as follows:

27 Aug 2024 31 Aug 2025

WP1 Community Pharmacists will participate in 2 co-development workshops as researchers; Community pharmacists (owners or managers) and pharmacists representatives will participate in interviews about the barriers and facilitators of implementing the intervention; WP2 Community pharmacists will provide feedback after testing an e-learning package; WP3 Community pharmacists will attend an online training; recruit and consent 4 patients, collect data; deliver a medication consultation, take feedback notes; and participate in a follow-up interview.
WP1 Breast cancer patients will participate in 2 co-development workshops as researchers. WP3 Breast cancer patients will be recruited by community pharmacies, and will complete a diary (to record medication symptoms) for a minimum of 1 month and a maximum 3 months; attend a medication consultation with the community pharmacist; and a follow-up interview with the research team.


WP1 Community Pharmacists in London; Pharmacist representatives of professional bodies; owners or managers of community pharmacies; WP2 community pharmacists in London; WP3 Community pharmacists located in Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Haringey and Islington.
WP1 Women with breast cancer, taking HT medication or had taken these drugs in the last 12 months (and) has/had concerns about changing medication brands. WP3 Women diagnosed with early breast cancer [stage 1-3], taking HT medication, and have/had concerns about medication brand changes. Patients participating in co-development workshops will be recruited in London; patients participating in the testing of the intervention will be recruited by community pharmacies located in the boroughs above.

You can take part if:



You may not be able to take part if:


WP1 - 1.c Qualitative interviews with pharmacists: 1. locum, technician, assistants, pharmacist not owner or manager 2. Pharmacists without a representative role in professional pharmaceutical bodies

WP2 - 2b. Qualitative interviews with pharmacists:1. Accredited Checking Technician, assistants

WP3 – Testing and optimisation studiesPharmacists:1. Locum, Accredited Checking Technician, pharmacy assistants.

Patients:1. Male2. Currently or recently (last 6 months) involved in another research study where medication adherence is a primary outcome;3. Have had in the last 6 months a medication review about changing brands of HT drugs.


Below are the locations for where you can take part in the trial. Please note that not all sites may be open.

  • 5 community pharmacies located in North Central London
    London
    -

All participating pharmacists might find it useful to reflect on the management of HT medication consultations. They will have the opportunity to contribute their views on the prototype intervention and potentially help community pharmacists to better manage medication consultations and improve patients’ adherence in the future. In addition, Pharmacists delivering the intervention they will gain research experience and gain CPD recognition. Potential risks: We do not envisage any significant risks arising for pharmacists. The main issue would be time constrains.
Patients: We cannot promise the study will benefit them immediately, but they might find it useful to explore a way of thinking around their HT medication brand that might help them better understand symptoms and side effects, and become more confident when discussing with pharmacists about new symptoms attributed to certain brands. Potential risks: During follow-up interviews, there might be cases when women feel upset when discussing their previous experiences and decisions made regarding therapy, whereby changing medications brands, describing new side effects or troubles in accessing a preferred brand could be upsetting.

Prof Yolanda Eraso
+44 20 7133 2623
y.eraso@londonmet.ac.uk



The study is sponsored by London Metropolitan University and funded by NIHR Central Commissioning Facility (CCF).




We'd like your feedback

Your feedback is important to us. It will help us improve the quality of the study information on this site. Please answer both questions.


Is this study information helpful?

What will you do next?
Read full details for Trial ID: ISRCTN15089342

Or CPMS 56605

Last updated 07 July 2025

This page is to help you find out about a research study and if you may be able to take part

You can print or share the study information with your GP/healthcare provider or contact the research team directly.   

Back to the top