Research agenda

Determining the characteristics of patients that received a COX II inhibitor as opposed to a traditional NSAID. Investigating how these patients have switched treatment following the withdrawal of Rofecoxib
Investigating which treatments patients diagnosed with heart failure receive in primary care
GPRD analysis includes surveillance of prescribing related with public health issues. This currently includes an analysis of the use of antibiotics for cough colds and sore throats as well as the change in length of antibiotic treatments
Prevalence estimation of population obesity using Synthetic Prevalence Estimation Modelling for PCTs across England
Mapping the relationship between population morbidity and primary care treatment by PCT across England . Models currently include a) asthma prescribing and asthma morbidity and b) depression prescribing and morbidity patterns

Service level agreements for strategic prescribing audits
Evaluation of the implementation of pharmacist prescribing in primary care and in hospitals
Technology Assessment Reviews for NICE (joint project with Birmingham University)
Development of a decision aid for GPs and non-physician prescribers
Providing an Outcomes Guarantee for a lipid lowering agent - a novel approach to clinical audit
Implications of M category generics
Public health and prioritisation
Academic detailing and education outreach
The production of reports which map health information for small geographic areas within primary care trusts across the West Midlands . Previous reports have detailed a) The Index of Material Deprivation (IMD 2004), b) population ethnicity, c) self reported general morbidity and d) long term limiting illness

Concordance in medical consultations
Patient and professional models of depression and its treatment
Treatment information needs of inpatients on acute psychiatric hospital wards
Mental health service users' experience of treatment information within a complex system of health care
Nested qualitative study within a clinical trial of a pharmacist enabling patients taking pain killers for arthritis to optimise pain control according to patient defined goals and needs. (Joint work with Primary Care Sciences)
Systematic review of qualitative research on the role and value of written medicines information for patients. (Joint project with Leeds University)

National epidemiological study of dually diagnosed substance misuse and psychiatric disorders using the GPRD
Modelling the hierarchy of risk and protective factors among adolescent drug users in England
Estimating the prevalence of drug misuse for drug Action Teams across England
Review of abstracts of addiction research in the UK
Further information on this theme