Postgraduate research students help the fight against COVID-19
Seven postgraduate students studying for PhDs in the School of Pharmacy at the University of Wolverhampton have joined front-line staff to help the fight against COVID-19.
The doctoral candidates are independent prescribing pharmacists, employed in a number of NHS Trusts, GP clinics, community pharmacies and in hospital injectable therapy clean rooms around the West Midlands and London region.
The pharmacists are all devoting their own time, between shifts and on their days off, and money to fund their fees, laboratory investigations, telephone charges, travel and printing to conduct their research.
Their research projects, while investigating different medical conditions and in different clinical settings, aim to achieve better outcomes for patients who have been diagnosed with long-term and chronic conditions. They are aiming to improve their treatment journey experience and develop their shared responsibility towards self-care and improving their adherence to mutually agreed treatment plans and prescribed medication, improving their overall sense of wellbeing.
Dr Hana Morrisey, Reader in Clinical Pharmacy at the University, said: “Some of our students have moved from working part-time or working eight hour shifts to working much longer hours in support of the local community effort to fight this pandemic.
“Olutayo Arikawe is working additional shifts at a Pharmacy in Dudley, Amardeep Singh, Nasreem Bibi and Miriam Ahmed are working up to 12 hours shifts, 6 days a week at GP Clinics in Wolverhampton and Birmingham, Marko Puzovic is working at a hospital in Shrewsbury and Vincent Ebhabha is working in Pharmacy Clinical Homecare in London.
“At times like these, when NHS Trust services are stretched and overburdened, it’s wonderful to see students who are willing to offer their valuable services in their own time to help the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. As their supervisors, we thank them for their fantastic work, and we wish them to stay safe and well as they continue their great work out in the community.”
Picture top: Olutayo Arikawe