HSRPP Liverpool 2008

The 2008 Health Services Research and Pharmacy Practice conference was hosted by the School of Pharmacy and Chemistry at Liverpool John Moores University on April 14th and 15th 2008.

Conference Abstracts

The abstracts from the 2008 conference are available in a special supplement of the International Journal of Pharmacy Practice (Vol 16, Suppl. 1, 2008).

Conference Report

The School of Pharmacy and Chemistry hosted the annual Health Services Research and Pharmacy Practice Conference on April 14 th and 15 th, chaired by Professor Janet Krska. The conference theme was Health and the Younger generation, reflecting the School’s strong links with the Medicines for Children Research Network and interest in managing childhood conditions.

Dr Karen Hughes from the Centre for Public Health, LJMU, set the scene for the conference, by describing the behaviours of young people both locally and nationally, which adversely affect health, such as alcohol and drug taking and risky sex. The pressing need for research into medicines for children was outlined by Professor Peter Helms of Aberdeen University, while a fascinating insight into conducting research with children was provided by Dr Andrew Curran, from Royal Liverpool Children’s Hospital. He held the audience enthralled as he described the influences on the child which need to be taken into account in research projects and the value of carrying out studies using “best buddies” as controls.

Dr Curran giving his address and chatting with the audience in the Peter Jost Conference Centre.

A total of 52 papers and posters were presented, helping to inform policy and development in the practice of pharmacy and the use of medicines, including work from as far away as Nigeria, Sweden and Thailand . Topics were wide-ranging covering issues as diverse as medical topics raised by adolescents on internet sites, doctors’ discomfort in relation to evidence-based prescribing and the impact of the abolition of the prescription charge in Wales.

The conference included, for the first time, a PhD forum, which provided an environment for first year research students to discuss their proposed projects and obtain advice from experienced researchers.

Miss Kritsanee Saramunee, a visiting lecturer to the School of Pharmacy and Chemistry, from Mahasarakham University, Thailand, presenting her poster.