Impact of Pharmacy in Research

Hadeel’s PhD explored how older people manage their medicines during the transition from hospital to home, a period linked to high risk of medication-related harm and avoidable readmissions.

MEDS-MADE study

Using a multi-method qualitative approach, including observations and interviews, Hadeel examined how older people manage medications in real-world settings. Grounded in behavioural science frameworks (COM-B and the Theoretical Domains Framework), the study looked at how individual, professional, and system-level factors influence safe medication use. It went beyond adherence to explore the behaviours, capabilities, opportunities, and motivations involved in medication self-management across care settings.

Key findings 

• Identified gaps in how medication self-management is assessed
• Developed behaviourally informed typologies describing diverse ways older people manage medicines
• Co-designed the MedS-MB Toolkit prototype to support safer transitions from hospital to home
• Highlighted the need for staff training to integrate medication self-management into discharge planning

Hadeel has shared her findings widely through conferences, webinars and workshops. She is now working with a national provider to translate her research into educational resources for NHS staff, with plans to further develop and evaluate the toolkit to inform service design, professional education and policy discussions aimed at improving patient safety.

Read Hadeel’s first PhD output: a systematic scoping review on measures and tools to assess medication self-management →

Neetu Bansal is a clinical academic pharmacist and Lecturer in Pharmacy Practice at the University of Manchester specialising in peri-operative medicines optimisation and post-surgical pain management. Her research focuses on improving the safety of opioid prescribing on transition from hospital to primary care, a period associated with increased risk of prolonged opioid use and medication-related harm.

Through an NIHR-funded Clinical Doctoral Research Fellowship, Neetu led the eTAPER study and examined the prevalence and risk factors for persistent post-operative opioid use using large-scale routine health data, alongside qualitative research with patients and healthcare professionals. This work highlighted how early discharge, limited follow-up, and fragmented care can contribute to ongoing opioid use after surgery.

Building on these findings, Neetu led the experience-based co-design of eTAPER, a digital, pharmacist-supported intervention to help patients safely taper opioids after surgery. Co-developed with patients and clinicians, and informed by behavioural science frameworks, eTAPER demonstrates how pharmacists can translate evidence into practical, patient-centred tools that support safer prescribing and continuity of care across healthcare settings.

Neetu’s work contributes to national discussions on opioid stewardship, peri-operative pain management, and the evolving role of pharmacists in surgical care pathways, illustrating the impact of research on patient safety.