CLIN03 - Adapting Medication Use for A Warming World: A Pharmacy Counselling Guide for Consumers

Overview

Medications commonly prescribed for various health conditions can increase a patient’s vulnerability to heat. Many of these drugs disrupt the body’s thermoregulatory processes by altering heat production, heat loss, or central temperature control. Currently, there is limited guidance available to help pharmacists provide appropriate counselling on how medications may affect thermoregulation. This research aims to develop a pharmacy counselling guide to support consumers with comorbidities who are taking medications, helping them adapt to a warming climate. This topic is not interdisciplinary, and the topic is not attached to an existing funded project.

Research engagement

Literature review, research design (modified Delphi), data entry

Research activities

The student will be working with three supervisors – Dr Simon Wong and Dr Judith Singleton are both experienced pharmacists, researchers and academics; Dr Annalese Semmler is an experienced pharmacologist, researcher and academic. With the assistance of the School of Clinical Sciences librarian, the student will undertake a literature review following a search strategy methodology. This will inform the development of a set of counselling points/guide which will be reviewed and evaluated by an expert panel comprised of pharmacists. The evaluation component will not be part of this project. This project will not involve field work (e.g. collecting data from participants) but rather will be predominant desk-based searching databases on a computer, as well as assisting the supervisory team design and implement the modified Delphi survey. There will be a weekly catchup with the student and supervisory team members to review progress against project milestones.

Research skills

1. Consolidate evidence-based literature review search skills.
2. Critical appraisal of data and synthesis of extrapolated information.
3. Skills in producing clear, precise, and professional scientific academic writing.
4. Develop the ability to design and prepare an initial checklist/guide for iterative expert evaluation as part of a future modified Delphi process.

Outcomes

The aim of this project is to develop a pharmacy counselling guide to support consumers who are taking medications that impair thermoregulation to safely manage increased vulnerability to heat-related illness.

To address this aim, the following research objectives have been developed:

1. (Compile a list of drugs by drug class that will impact the body’s ability to cope with heat stress.
2. Search evidence-based sources such as pharmacotherapeutic texts to determine how each of these drugs impact the body’s ability to cope with heat stress.
3. Develop counselling points for each drug class and individual drugs to help consumers adapt to a warning climate.

The expected outcomes of this VRES project are:

1. A publication in a Q1 peer-reviewed journal which will inform environmental health research with a focus on clinical pharmacology and climate-related health risk.
2. A counselling checklist/guide for community pharmacists to help pharmacy consumers adapt to a warming climate.

Skills and experience

No specific skills but ability to search databases (e.g. PubMed, Medline, Embase, etc) will be an advantage. The research team will guide the research process. A pharmacy student would be an ideal candidate.

Start date

30 November, 2026

End date

5 February, 2027

Location

QUT Gardens Point campus

Keywords

• thermoregulation
• heat stress
• climate change adaptation
• medication

Contact

Dr Yew Mun (Simon) Wong

31381768

y203.wong@qut.edu.au