Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics

A multidisciplinary research team addressing real life healthcare issues 

Our research focus is the promotion of health and wellbeing through evidence-based interventions that inform effective healthcare delivery and optimal use of medicines (prescribing and patient adherence). Working with our School and the global research community we facilitate bench to bedside translational research and the delivery of healthcare that is applicable to patients of all ages in real world settings. The Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics Research Group recognises the challenges of promoting health and treating disease in the face of complex patient factors. We aim to address these wider determinants of health by tailoring our research to tackle unmet patients’ needs, and through educating the healthcare professionals of the future with the latest evidence-based practices. Our research is driven to address individual patient factors including societal demographic change and social circumstances, and their influence on disease, clinical systems and health outcomes. We also actively engage in technology-enhanced learning, simulation and inter-professional education to develop the healthcare teams of the future.

Research Themes

Enhanced Technology and Improved Health Professional Education

• Technology in clinical practice
• Technology in education
• Interprofessional education
• Work-place based learning
• Reflective practice and continuing professional development

Optimisation of Patient Care

• Evidenced-based interventions for patients of all ages
• Pharmacy services and service delivery across all healthcare settings
• Prescribing behaviour and practices
• Systematic reviews/ meta analyses
• Health promotion and self-care
• Patient / public expectations and perspectives
• Patient and carer health literacy

Epidemiology and Medicines Use

• Clinical trials
• Observational studies
• Physiology,  pharmacology and therapeutics
• Managing adverse reactions
• Antimicrobial stewardship
• Prescribing and adherence

Research Impact

Our integrated pharmacy approach means that together with our collaborators, particularly within LJMU Faculties of Science and Health, our research to date has contributed new knowledge to the field including feasibility and application of novel, patient-centred formulations in practice, improved medicine use across primary, secondary and tertiary care settings, enhanced community pharmacy services and informed healthcare policymaking.

Enhanced Technology and Improved Health Professional Education

Preparing the future workforce for practice is a key feature within the “Enhanced technology and practice” strand. Dr Suzanne Cutler leads work on interprofessional education and practice with a particular focus on teamwork and collaborative practice. Local collaborations include the LJMU School of Nursing and the University of Liverpool School of Medicine. Mr Jonathan Davies leads on technology enhanced learning and has a particular interest in simulation to support undergraduate pharmacy education. Dr Kate Shemilt leads on Electronic Prescribing and Medicines Administration (EPMA) systems to support the safe, effective, and cost-effective use of medicines.

Optimisation of Patient Care

All healthcare users should expect to receive care tailored for their condition and individual needs. Ongoing research is looking at service delivery within patients’ locality, in addition to interventions in larger secondary and tertiary care settings. Dr Mullen leads on optimising effective multidisciplinary delivery of mental and physical health services within primary care. Dr McCloskey leads on appropriate medicine utilisation with a particular focus on prescribing practices and administration of oral dosage forms for patients with swallowing difficulties. Research collaborations include local LPCs and hospital Trusts.

Epidemiology and Medicines Use

Cardiovascular research features strongly within the ‘Epidemiology and Medicines Use’ strand of research. Dr Peter Penson leads work relating to the identification and pharmacological management of risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Particular areas of interest include the role of lipoproteins and inflammation in atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and atrial fibrillation. Ongoing projects span from population-based epidemiological studies to interventional studies involving medicines optimisation by pharmacists. Cardiovascular research within the group is conducted through local collaborations via the Liverpool Centre for Cardiovascular Science and internationally via the International Lipid Expert Panel.

Key collaborations

We have a number of international research collaborations within LJMU, across the UK, and internationally. Research is undertaken in a wide range of settings: primary, secondary and tertiary care, community pharmacies, social care settings and with patients in their own homes and communities. We adopt a multidisciplinary approach to many of our research projects and engage with complementary disciplines, members of the public, voluntary and special interest organisations. We have strong links with local Primary Care Networks, NHS Trusts, Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, Royal Liverpool University Hospital, Liverpool Women’s Hospital and The Great North Children’s Hospital. We also collaborate with other academic institutions in the UK including; UCL School of Pharmacy; Newcastle School of Pharmacy, University of Central Lancashire, Liverpool Centre for Cardiovascular Science, and worldwide; RCSI, Dublin, Ireland; The University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia; Hashemite University, Zarqa, Jordan; Medical University of Lodz and Polish Mother’s Memorial Hospital – Research Institute, Lodz, Poland; University of Alabama, Birmingham USA.

Key outputs from these collaborations include:

• The Centre for Pharmacy Innovation – the first research collaboration in the UK between a hospital, university and community pharmacist. LJMU, the Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust and LloydsPharmacy are working together towards the goal of improving the way patients use their medicines outside hospital.

• Paediatric Medicines Research Unit – a collaboration with Alder Hey Children's Hospital Trust and the School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences at LJMU, among others. The unit conducts research which contributes to the safe and effective use of new and existing medicines for children.

People

Contact us

We can help you with your research requirements, get in touch:

Dr Peter Penson

Email: P.Penson@ljmu.ac.uk  Twitter: @DrPenson

Dr Alice McCloskey

Email: A.P.McCloskey@ljmu.ac.uk  Twitter: @DrAliceMcC