For Raymond Li the University of Tasmania’s Master of Clinical Pharmacy was a great way to enhance his expertise and contribute to pharmacy research- all while studying online.
“I was looking at options for further education, particularly courses I was able to do via distance learning. The University of Tasmania offered that, and after reading further I was interested and applied,” he said.
Raymond is a pharmacist in the area of medical information and pharmacovigilance, and his work focuses on reports of adverse drug reactions. This work is vital for ensuring medications are safe.
But currently the reporting of these reactions by healthcare professionals is very low.
“The Therapeutic Goods Administration released statistics in 2016 saying healthcare professionals in the community reported less than five per cent of the total number of reports they had received, and that means we don’t know the complete safety profile of a drug,” Raymond said.
I have been within the industry for over seven years now and my interests are basically to try and increase the reporting rates of healthcare professionals.
This is why Raymond’s Masters research project investigated the reasons for the low rates of reporting.
“We rolled that survey out to pharmacists in the field to complete.
“One of the key barriers we identified was time. Healthcare professionals are very busy, and we think simplifying the process of reporting will help.
We’re in the middle of finalising a journal submission now, it’s very exciting. It will be my first publication.
“I thought it tied in nicely with my work, I was very pleased to be able to achieve that.”
And Raymond isn’t finished with his research.
“Because of what I’ve been able to achieve as part of the Masters course, I’m looking to do a PhD with the University of Tasmania to continue my research into the reporting of adverse drug reactions.
“I’ve already drafted my research proposal for consideration, and I’ve had a meeting with my supervisor.”
Raymond will complete his PhD by distance and said it’s a very convenient way to learn.
It’s a very good program the University of Tasmania offers, that flexibility is really useful for people who have busy work schedules.
And while Raymond said studying and researching around work can be challenging, staying focused and having a good mentor helps a lot.
“Your supervisor really guides you and makes sure you’re staying on track and doing the right things to succeed,” he said.