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Pharmacy Academic UDRH Research Program

The Pharmacist Academics at University Departments of Rural Health (PAUDRH) scheme was established under the terms of the Third Community Pharmacy Agreement. This scheme provided funding to recruit a part-time academic pharmacist at each UDRH in Australia. The purpose of this was to raise the profile of rural pharmacy within UDRHs and Schools of Pharmacy. Managed by The Pharmacy Guild of Australia, the objectives are listed on its website as follows:

  1. To raise the profile of rural pharmacy within Pharmacy Schools and University Departments of Rural Health, and to increase rural content in rural curricula so that pharmacy graduates will be equipped with the necessary skills to practice effectively in rural areas
  2. To ensure that pharmacy graduates will have an awareness of the relevant issues involved in the treatment and care of rural populations and to encourage them to practice in rural and remote communities
  3. To provide advisory, mentoring and developmental support to pharmacists practising in UDRH areas and to increase the number of trained preceptors to supervise students in the area
  4. To provide academic support and mentoring to students on internship placements in UDRH areas

Each pharmacist academic has developed an individual program in response to the needs of the profession and the general population in their region. In addition to this, they have combined to form a PAUDRH network aimed at furthering projects of common interest across rural and remote Australia.

In the Greater Green Triangle region, the education and training side of the pharmacy program places a major focus on providing support to preceptors, undergraduate students during their clinical or research placements, the development of relevant pharmacy practice research, and the provision of continuing professional development opportunities for pharmacists.

Kevin Mc Namara is the pharmacist academic at the GGT UDRH. Read more about Kevin..

Kevin contributes to multi-disciplinary research at the GGT UDRH, including examining the prevalence and evidence-treatment gaps in the risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) (see the report Greater Green Triangle Risk Factor Study: Limestone Coast and Corangamite Shire Surveys). He is also the principal or chief investigator for several active research projects seeking to highlight the potential impact of community pharmacy in CVD prevention:

Pharmacist assessment of adherence, risk and treatment in cardiovascular disease (PAART CVD) trial

This clinical trial involves community pharmacists from rural Victorian and Tasmanian communities, as well as Melbourne and Hobart. The multifaceted intervention involves pharmacist management of overall cardiovascular risk for patients who have never experienced a cardiovascular event, through a combination of lifestyle and medication-related interventions. The primary outcome will be changes to patient cardiovascular risk after the six month intervention phase. This project is on target for completion in June 2009. This program is funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing as part of the Fourth Community Pharmacy Agreement through the Fourth Community Pharmacy Agreement Grants Program managed by the Pharmacy Guild of Australia.

Improving blood pressure control for people with hypertension (formerly named "Improving blood pressure control through enhanced community pharmacist involvement in assessment of treatment")

The purpose of the fellowship is to implement a program in rural and metropolitan areas of Victoria to examine the ability of community pharmacists to impact on evidence treatment gaps in the management of hypertension during routine care. Pharmacists and GPs across Victoria have been recruited to the project, and data collection runs from February to October 2009. Kevin is funded through a fellowship provided by the National Institute of Clinical Studies and the National Prescribing Service.

Increasing the involvement of community pharmacy in the prevention of cardiovascular disease

Kevin is one of several co-investigators on this project which will attempt to develop models of cardiovascular care for community pharmacy which focuses on improved medication adherence and supported blood pressure monitoring. This is due for completion in March 2010. This program is funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing as part of the Fourth Community Pharmacy Agreement through the Fourth Community Pharmacy Agreement Grants Program managed by the Pharmacy Guild of Australia.

  

Grant details

Funding Body: Pharmacy Guild of Australia, via the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing

Chief Investigator: Professor James Dunbar

Associate Investigator: Kevin Mc Namara

Total Funding (2003-2009): $380,000

View 2009 grant details

 

For more information on this project contact Kevin Mc Namara

 

Quick links

Current GGT UDRH education & training programs (complete listing)

PAUDRH education & training program

Student program 

 

 

 

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