Cash boost for Wearside drugs research project

A Wearside study into analysing new drugs aimed at preventing blood clots has scooped a cash boost.

The project being carried out between The University of Sunderland and City Hospitals Sunderland has been awarded a Pharmacy Research UK grant of £30,314.

The study is to analyse patients’ and health professionals’ attitudes towards new drugs that prevent blood clots, which can lead to strokes.

This public health project is one of 13 national projects selected by Pharmacy Research UK to be part of its largest ever annual funding award of nearly £200,000 to support pharmacy research.

These personal awards are designed to support those new to research as well as pharmacists leading their first projects.

At Sunderland the cash will support a study by clinical pharmacist, Kimberley Stewart, as part of her Master’s Degree in Public Health, assessing attitudes and perceptions towards anticoagulants - medicines that help prevent blood clots, to reduce the chances of developing conditions like strokes.

While warfarin has been the most commonly prescribed drug of choice for more than 60 years, patients require frequent blood tests and careful monitoring, with many other medications, herbal remedies and changes in diet affecting how well it works.

However, new medicines NOACs (Novel Oral Anticoagulants) have proved effective in preventing strokes and require fewer blood tests and monitoring to check they’re working.

Kimberley said: “The uptake of NOACS in the UK has been slow and patchy and we lag behind other countries.

“We are delighted to receive this PRUK grant and we hope our results will lead to developing strategies which make prescribing NOACs easier for health professionals, make the best use of new medication, which in turn leads to a better use of resources within the NHS.”