Accepting PhD Students

PhD projects

Optimising medication use through deprescribing

20132025

Research activity per year

Personal profile

Biography

I am a Senior Lecturer with the Centre for Medicine Use and Safety and I am the Unit Coordinator for Professional Practice I & II in the first year of the Pharmacy degree. I have over 20 years of experience providing patient care and leading research in various healthcare sectors including aged care, primary care, tertiary care and academia in Australia, the United Kingdom and Canada.

My research seeks to answer the question, “How can we improve medication use in older adults?”

My passion for answering this question comes from my extensive experience caring for older adults in the community, hospitals, and residential aged-care facilities. After completing a Masters in Clinical Pharmacy at the University of South Australia, I completed a PhD at Monash University in 2016. I worked at the University of Montreal and the Centre de recherche, Institut de Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal as a Post doctoral fellow initially before accepting a position as Assistant Professor. My time in Canada enabled me to develop new skills in behaviour change, implementation of evidence-based interventions at a population level, health economics and health policy.

I hold affiliated reseucher status with Centre de recherche, Institut de Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal and Laval University, Quebec, Canada. My research has important implications for improving the safe and efficacious use of medications, and for informing policy decisions related to medication use and access.

I have a keen interest in promoting the safe and appropriate use of medications. Consequently, I have:

  • Delivered invited presentations to clinicians, researchers and governments about how to translate evidence into practice change
  • Worked with patients and patient representatives to promote awareness of medication-related harm
  • Led a randomised controlled trial with a Canadian Government to educate patients about the benefits and harms of opioids during the opioid crisis
  • Led the population-level implementation of patient-empowered deprescribing across Newfoundland and Labrador, www.SaferMedsNL.ca
  • Been interviewed by local, national and international TV, radio and PodCast media about my research and its impact on improving medication use.

I am available to provide public presentations, scientific presentations or media interviews.

External positions

Co-Director, Canadian Deprescribing Network

1 Jan 2021 → …

Research area keywords

  • Deprescribing
  • Quality Use of Medicines
  • Implementation Science
  • Health Policy
  • Polypharmacy

Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years

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