Disease State Management
Each of the chronic diseases listed below, has a similar research trajectory:
- Screening
- Develop strategies
- Design and present education
- Follow-up
Asthma
Research in asthma addresses the disease from many perspectives such as inhaler technique, education of patients, inhaler device design, and identifying inhibitory factors in the air tubes of people who do not have asthma.
Research at the Faculty has resulted in a new management model for people with asthma, which is effective in producing positive outcomes and health benefits for asthma sufferers. This DSM model includes a test of lung function, medication checks, asthma inhaler technique and trigger factors.
Research continues into the area of inhaler technique, into education and into the training needs of health care professionals, as well as patients and consumers. Other research currently underway involves using proteomics to identify the inhibitory factors for translation into new therapies to prevent inflammation and remodelling of air tubes. This includes an anti-inflammatory strategy to reverse the development of airway remodelling by increasing the ant-inflammatory protein MKP-1.
Diabetes
A pharmacy diabetes management model to help manage type 2 diabetic patients has been developed and is being implemented in pharmacies around Australia. Pharmacists are now able to offer a Diabetes Medication Assistance Service (DMAS) supporting patients in self-management, assisting in monitoring the disease, and educating diabetics. During the DMAS, pharmacists help ensure adherence to medicines.
Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
Researchers at the Faculty are designing a pilot program to screen for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This will enable pharmacists to test lung function to identify ‘at risk’ patients, to follow these patients through to diagnosis, to support smoking cessation and to appropriately manage their disease. The result will be a more comprehensive disease state management model for COPD.
Sleep Apnoea
Researchers in Sleep Apnoea have developed an online sleep disorder risk predictor examining the impact of lifestyle issues by gathering information on body mass index, smoking habits and contra-indications from multiple medicine use. A future project will involve GPs in a large scale screening survey to explore the impact of QUM in insomnia. Sleep health is a relatively new research area and findings have been incorporated into the Faculty’s Bachelor of Pharmacy degree curriculum.
Cardiovascular Disease
Managing cardiovascular disease requires ongoing adherence and presistence to prescribed therapy which applies equally to the management of symptomless risk factors such as hypertension and dyslipidaemia, as well as complications such as ischaemic heart disease and heart failure. Non-adherence can result in suboptimal clinical benefit, medical and psychological complications, reduced patient quality of life and wastage of health care resources. Working with the Heart Foundation, we are developing strategies to bolster adherence.
HDR Candidates
Bell, Carolyn A.
Doctor of Philosophy (full-time)
Submit date: February 2013
"Involving community pharmacists in the prevention and management of tuberculosis in developing countries"
Primary supervisor: Dr Bandana Saini
Associate supervisor: Duncan
Cheong, Hui M.L.
Doctor of Philosophy (full-time)
Submit date: February 2013
"Inter-professional practice in asthma care"
Primary supervisor: Dr Sinthia Bosnic-Anticevich
Associate supervisor: Professor Carol Armour
Fuller, Joanne M.
Doctor of Philosophy (part-time)
Submit date: July 2016
llb||"The role of pharmacy in sleep-health']]
Primary supervisor: Dr Bandana Saini
Associate supervisor: Associate Professor Ines Krass
Hajipura, Jayshree P.
Master of Philosophy (full-time)
Submit date: July 2010
"Validation of sleep disorder screening questionnaire via polysomnography including role of community pharmacy"
Primary supervisor: Dr Bandana Saini
Associate supervisor: Wong
Hatherly, Kristy LT
Doctor of Philosophy (part-time)
Submit date: February 2012
"The impact of service delivery on young people with Type 1 diabetes"
Primary supervisor: Dr Lorraine Smith
Associate supervisor: Dr Susan Taylor
Liao-Loon, Hannah E.
Master of Philosophy (part-time)
Submit date: February 2013
"Evaluation of medication aspects of Integrated Home Remote Monitoring with established respiratory ambulatory care services for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) within the Sydney West Area Health Service (SWAHS)"
Ovchinikova, Ludmila A.
Doctor of Philosophy (full-time)
Submit date: February 2012
"Inhaler device use for people with asthma"
Primary supervisor: Dr Sinthia Bosnic-Anticevich
Associtate supervisor: Dr Lorraine Smith
Touman, Miriam
Doctor of Philosophy (full-time)
Submit date: February 2013
"The role of the pharmacist in inhaler device technique"
Primary supervisor: Dr Sinthia Bosnic-Anticevich
Associate supervisor: Bashetti
Compeditive Research Grants
"Improving asthma device use: Innovative models for inter-professional practice"
Bosnic-Anticevich, Armour, et al.
Australian Research Council, Linkage Project LP0882737
$423,600
2008 - -2010
"The Diabetes Pilot Programme: Tender for Stage 1"
Krass, Armour, White, Smith, Luddington, Hughes, Peterson, Stuart
Department of Health and Ageing
$1,142,977
2008 - 2010
"Role of pharmacists in sleep health: A screening, awareness and monitoring program"
Saini, Wong, Grunstein, Krass
Pharmacy Guild of Australia
$194,104
2007 - 2009
"Allergic rhinitis self-management program in community pharmacy"
Smith, Seeto, Saini
Pharmacy Guild of Australia
$106,660
2007 - 2009
"Identifying needs of people with asthma"
Reddel, Bosnic-Anticevich
Asthma Foundation NSW
$40,000
2008 - 2010
"A collaborative screening, referral and management process to improve health outcomes in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)"
Allen, Saini, Australian Lung Foundation
Pharmacy Guild of Australia
$200,000
2007 - 2009
"Development of a simple tool to identify attitudes and beliefs associated with poor adherence with asthma medications"
Reddel, Sawyer, Rand, Bosnic-Anticevich
Asthma Foundation NSW
$50,000
2008 - 2009
"Improving asthma control in general practice: Simple adherence strategies"
Reddel, Sawyer, Usherwood, Smith
NHMRC Project Grant #571053
$443,433
2009 - 2010