Our Research

The centre’s research includes

• Patient engagement in pharmaceutical policy
• Patient centered communication in health care
• Patient perspectives on medicines use
• Medication adherence
• Qualitative health research

The centre has also developed a guide for preparing qualitative interviews, offering a structured process step by step, from initial thoughts to dissemination.

Selected Research Projects

Researchers from the center are collaborating with the WHO to identify best practices in citizen engagement in pharmaceutical policy:
Citizen Engagement is essential for developing transparent, effective, and responsive pharmaceutical policies. However, approaches to citizen engagement vary widely across countries.

This multi-country project examines how patients and the public are involved in pharmaceutical policy across diverse healthcare systems—from market authorization to pharmacovigilance. Using a mixed-methods approach, we identify, select, and compare practices in high-, middle-, and low-income countries to identify key success factors, common challenges, and transferable solutions.

Our goal is to generate evidence-based, adaptable guidelines that support meaningful and effective citizen engagement in different national contexts.
 

Researchers from the center are collaborating with various partners in Denmark and the Netherlands: academia, private partners and patient organization to evaluate a new post-education on patient centeredness for pharmacy staff to study its effects on patients’ experienced drug related problems.

28 pharmacy staff members in Denmark and 24 staff members in the Netherlands are involved in the first trial of the education.

Researchers from the center have been collaborating with The National Institute for Health and Welfare, Finland (THL) under the programme of the “Nordic-Russian Cooperation in Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Containment” (Nordic Council of Ministers’ Thematic Programme for ‘Health Promotion and Prevention’). The aim was to study the culture of use of antibiotics in North-West Russia to inform future AMR programmes.

In total, 93 interviews were conducted with patients, community pharmacists and general practitioners about their practices with antibiotics in the regions of Arkhangelsk, Karelia, Murmansk, Pskov and Skt. Petersburg.

Researchers from the center and delegates from 13 countries within the AMC Network Group under the WHO Regional Office for Europe undertook a project investigating the practices, attitudes and knowledge around use of antibiotics through the use of interviews.