PhD Studentship - Panoz Pharmaceutical Innovation (O’Connell)

Post Summary

Background: Medicines optimisation improves medication appropriateness and reduces medication related adverse effects and harm. A medicines optimisation tool, OPTIMA-ID (Optimising Pharmaco-Therapy and Improving Medication for Ageing with Intellectual Disability) was recently developed by a multidisciplinary team to support medicines optimisation for older (≥40 years) adults with intellectual disability. This research programme aims to refine and test the potential for OPTIMA-ID to be implemented in routine clinical practice. Objectives: To determine the potential of OPTIMA-ID to improve patient outcomes, its usability amongst different professional groups, to explore the feasibility of implementing OPTIMA-ID in clinical practice and to undertake a pilot trial using OPTIMA-ID in clinical practice. Methods: OPTIMA-ID will be applied to medication data collected from participants in the Intellectual Disability Supplement to the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (IDS-TILDA) to describe prescribing quality in IDS-TILDA and its association with patient outcomes. The inter-rater reliability of OPTIMA-ID amongst healthcare professionals (e.g., prescribers/pharmacists) will be established. The feasibility of using OPTIMA-ID will be tested in a proof-of-concept study prior to undertaking a pilot trial in healthcare facilities associated with IDS-TILDA. This will establish utility of OPTIMA-ID in practice and refine methods for future investigation in a large-scale interventional study and subsequent implementation.

NOTE: Applicants must have been resident in an EU member state for 3 out of the last 5 years to be eligible for EU fees

Application Procedure

Applicants should email

  and will be sent link to preliminary application form.  Applicants will be shortlisted for interviews which will take place after the closing date of 10th May 2024  

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