Research Supervisor Connect
Helping patients to start taking and continue taking medicines for the treatment of chronic diseases, in particular for rheumatology conditions like osteoporosis and gout.
This opportunity is for higher degree research students, with health profession background, to work as part of a large multidisciplinary team. This opportunity is part of an Australian Government funded clinical trial for patients living with osteoporosis. Another related study is planned (but not yet funded) for patients living with gout. The student will receive research training in qualitative and quantitative methods to understand more about how patients can be supported by pharmacists to adhere to their medicines.
Adherence to medicines for chronic diseases is suboptimal and it is estimated that fewer than 50% of all prescribed medicines are actually consumed appropriately. In osteoporosis the problem is compounded because the condition is often not obvious to the patient. In addition, the available medicines need to be taken for a long period of time and lack of persistence with some medicines may cause specific problems. Our trial is designed to test whether pharmacist intervention in refracture prevention clinics can help with medication adherence for osteoporosis.
Adherence to medicines for gout is also problematic and a trial of a novel intervention by clinic pharmacists is planned. In that trial, we collaborate with an internationally recognised leader in adherence research.
We use a range of quantitative methods, to analyse actual real-time medication use, prescription records and dispensing records. We also conduct interviews in focus groups and online.
This opportunity would ideally suit health professionals with experience with medicines such as pharmacists, medical practitioners and nurses.
The opportunity ID for this research opportunity is 2992