Pharmacy practice PhD research supervision areas

Grow your potential in pharmacy practice research, by joining one of the PhD projects we have available at the University of Reading. If you're looking for a career in pharmacy practice, this is the perfect place to start. 

This is a taster of some of the PhD projects you can be involved in at the University of Reading. To discuss the different projects available, please contact Dr Graeme Cottrell by emailing g.s.cottrell@reading.ac.uk.

Supervised by Professor Parastou Donyai, advised by Orla MacDonald (Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust) and Kate Masters (Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust)The prescribing and monitoring of medications for mental health conditions (MHCs) in primary care is a key national challenge. Parity of esteem is about valuing mental and physical health equally.

This project will use qualitative research methods to investigate the issues around shared care prescribing with an emphasis on mental health drugs and parity of esteem in general practice nationally and a role for pharmacists in this setting to result in i) a meta-synthesis of existing research evidence about barriers to prescribing in MHCs in general practice, ii) a grounded theory to encapsulate the current prescribing and monitoring of medications in MHCs in general practice, iii) a proposed model of service for pharmacists contributing to general practice to improve parity of esteem in primary care.

The project will draw upon experiences from two completed PhDs that examined the prescribing of antipsychotics and stimulants, respectively, in general practice using qualitative research methods and will exploit strong links with Academic Pharmacy Units, East and West Berkshire Clinical Commissioning Group pharmacists as well as the College of Mental Health Pharmacist members nationally.

The concept of moral hazard is taken from the insurance and financial sectors and relates to the potential for someone to undertake riskier behaviour specifically as a result of being offered protective action. For example, in insurance this relates to the idea that someone who is insured will be more careless or take greater risks because they know they are protected by insurance - inadvertently increasing the potential for claims. Some individuals of course could also take out large insurance policies specifically to make a claim.

In the insurance and banking sectors firms identify moral hazards and use techniques to recognise and monitor customers and behaviours. Thus a moral hazard can arise when an arrangement of good intentions creates an incentive for someone to behave against the interest of themselves or others. Although the idea has been recognised and explored in other fields, there is room for better recognition and definition of moral hazards with everyday medicines.

The idea of moral hazards is easily extended to drugs such as statins and even insulin, which can create incentives and opportunities for patients to pursue hazardous health behaviours (with the false assumption that sufficient protection is being afforded by their medicine). For example, insulin is associated with weight-lowering behaviour as well as unhealthy behaviours and increased body mass index in patients with diabetes. Statins too can be considered to neutralise the cardiovascular risk of unhealthy food choices. This project will use qualitative methodology to explore the notion of moral hazard with the prescribing and use of medicines.

The prescribing of sodium valproate for women of child-bearing age has been highlighted as a patient safety concern because of a risk to an unborn child should there be a pregnancy. One current initiative is to ask hospital nurses to complete a valproate card for each patient on discharge so that patients in turn take responsibility for avoiding pregnancy.

This project will use qualitative research methods to investigate the issues around continued prescribing of the drug in this patient group with an emphasis on finding solutions to change prescribing habits and to result in i) a meta-synthesis of existing research evidence about the prescribing of valproate in women of child-bearing age, ii) a grounded theory to encapsulate the current prescribing of valproate in practice, iii) a proposed model for changing practitioner prescribing behaviours.

The project will draw upon experiences from two completed PhDs that examined the prescribing of antipsychotics and stimulants, respectively, in general practice using qualitative research methods and will exploit strong links with Academic Pharmacy Units, East and West Berkshire Clinical Commissioning Group pharmacists as well as the College of Mental Health Pharmacist members nationally.

The community pharmacy is the most accessed health space in the UK and many other countries. However, we currently do not know what effects, for example, a small and cluttered pharmacy consultation room, pharmacy counter, shop floor or dispensary could have on pharmacy patients and staff. The community pharmacy profession has experienced significant developments over the years; however, spaces where these new pharmacy services are delivered have not been examined.

What could this mean for pharmacy patients and staff? This PhD will build on the Pharmacy Research UK funded study Architecture of Pharmacies: Co-designing pharmacy spaces, Principal Investigator Dr Dhital. We will encourage the student to apply a range of qualitative, quantitative and/or mixed methods approaches to explore how community pharmacy spaces are experienced by pharmacy service users and staff and identify implications for creating healthy and inclusive environments.

Various projects can be devised from this theme with potential methodologies including questionnaires, interviews and developing behaviour change interventions.

Current work includes medicine use in athletes and pain management in sport. Both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies are likely to be employed.