Barry Jubraj, Kingston University
This is a PhD by publication. Therefore my research has already been completed, and the PhD is about confirming the scope and impact of my work. My research topics include:
· Medication adherence
· Clinical education
· Medication review, polypharmacy and deprescribing
I will use my PhD write-up to demonstrate that my research can be described as follows: ‘Equipping stakeholders to deliver Medicines Optimisation using a collaborative approach’.
Background
No single definition of ‘Medicines Optimisation’ exists, but key stakeholders generally support the same published explanations of the term, and agree with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s (RPS) ‘four principles of Medicines Optimisation’ (2013). Medicines Optimisation has become a defining concept for pharmacy and is endorsed by other professions. It has been incorporated by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) into national policy, including the development of a quality standard. Medicines Optimisation seeks to achieve beneficial clinical outcomes; some of which I have been particularly active in. These include improved adherence, partnership in clinical decision-making, and tackling polypharmacy, particularly through deprescribing.
PhD key content
My full PhD submission will outline the impact of my publication outputs, with reference to the published literature, and how they have advanced thinking and delivery of outcomes in the area of Medicines Optimisation.
Publications
My work has had a direct impact on pharmacy education and patient care. For example, leading directly to the use of a medication review tool in a variety of care settings in my hospital). Other work has led to the inclusion of curriculum material on ‘deprescribing’. Currently I have just accepted a publication invitation from Age UK to write for the journal ‘Public Policy and Aging Report’, in partnership with Age UK’s US equivalent.
Outcomes
The outcomes of my work include equipping a variety of stakeholders (including students and health professionals) to deliver the beneficial outcomes of Medicines Optimisation. These include equipping pharmacists to better consult with patients with a learning disability and their carers. I have also published work about ‘clinical empathy’ which is essential for success in RPS Medicines Optimisation principle 1 (‘understanding the patient experience’). Many of my publications are deliberately targeted at practitioners in professional publications, rather than academic journals, in order to target and influence those ‘at the coalface’. I have also published widely around patient experience, polypharmacy and deprescribing.
Summary
My contribution to pharmacy and clinical education has been recognised through fellowships, honorary academic positions, conference speaking and publication invitations. I also continue to care for my disabled son and I use these experiences in my teaching, speaking and writing, which have contributed to my published work and will contribute to my PhD submission. This PhD is an opportunity to draw on my existing body of work to support my future research.
This project ran from April 2018 to April 2019
