I graduated in pharmacy in 1976 and have spent much of my working life researching the practice of pharmacy and use of medicines.
My interest started when I moved to Aberdeen in 1985, where I studied the development of formularies and guidelines, working with Professor James C Petrie, the founder of SIGN (Scottish Inter-Collegiate Guidelines Network).
Since then my research interests have diversified into areas such as advice-giving in community pharmacy, medication review and pharmaceutical care, drug utilization, pharmaceutical needs assessment, adverse drug reaction reporting and public health. I have led pharmacy practice research at the Robert Gordon University and Liverpool John Moores University and am now at Medway School of Pharmacy in Kent.
Over my career, I have worked in all fields of pharmacy and held honorary contracts in Public Health with Grampian Health Board and Sefton Primary Care Trust.
I maintain strong links with Thailand, working with staff and students of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences in Khon Kaen University on adverse drug reactions and medicines information provision in Thailand.