North-east health researchers are using their skills in the Middle East to identify what causes errors when prescribing medication.
Professor Derek Stewart, from Robert Gordon University’s School of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, is leading a team who are helping Qatar’s Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) – one of the nation’s leading healthcare providers – to develop safer practices.
The project, which involves researchers from RGU, Aberdeen University, Queen’s University Belfast, HMC and Qatar University, has been awarded more than £350,000 from the Qatar National Research Foundation.
Prof Stewart said: “Errors in medication are known to be worldwide issues which can have a major effect on patient care and safety.
“These can occur during the prescribing, administration and dispensing of medication.
“We hope the research will lead to the development of more robust and enhanced medication practices at HMC.”
Professor Cherry Wainwright, Director of RGU’s Institute for Health and Wellbeing Research added: “This is an excellent advance in our research efforts in the field of pharmacy practice, demonstrating the true international reach of the research that Professor Stewart is undertaking.
“This collaboration will help to cement the existing research relationships with Qatar and hopefully lead to additional collaborations with other countries in the Middle East.”
