Professor Debi Bhattacharya

I am Professor of Behavioural Medicine at the University of Leicester and a primary care pharmacist. I lead a portfolio of research largely funded by the NIHR plus working with industry and charitable organisations applying behavioural science to medicines optimisation challenges. Two key strands of this work are medication adherence and deprescribing.

Outputs associated with medication adherence projects include:

Medication Adherence Support Decision Aid (MASDA)

Identification of Medication Adherence Barriers Questionnaire (IMAB-Q)

Medication Acceptability Questionnaire (MAQ)

 

Outputs associated with deprescribing projects include:

Opioid deprescribing toolkit

CompreHensive geriAtRician Led MEdication Review (CHARMER)

I also have a strand of NIHR funded research developing the science of dissemination and implementation; this includes implementing the Opioid Toolkit into the NHS and developing a consolidated framework for dissemination.

 

Title of grant	Funder	Funding amount	Dates
Active grants as lead applicant/primary supervisor
CompreHensive geriAtRician-led MEdication Review (CHARMER)	NIHR PGfAR	£2.4M	1/09/20 → 30/08/25
An E-health application for community pharmacies to improve medication adherence in people with type-2 diabetes	European Foundation for the Study of Diabetes	£170,000	1/09/18→31/03/22
Development and validation of a medication adherence tool for people with bipolar disorder to identify non-adherent behaviour and diagnose an individual’s determinants of adherence	NIHR CDRF	£330,000	1/04/18→31/03/22
Development of a trial to evaluate a theory and evidence-based medication adherence intervention to enhance structured medication reviews in primary care	NIHR PDG	£115,000	1/02/22→31/01/23
A practitioner behaviour change intervention to support people to self-manage the long-term consequences of cancer treatment	Pharmacy Research UK & NIHR ARC EoE	£107,000	1/09/19→1/09.2023
Active grants as co-applicant
Scalable low-cost interventions to support medication adherence in people prescribed treatment for hypertension in primary care	NIHR PGfAR	£2.2M	1/06/17→31/05/23
Feasibility of a tailored text messaging adherence intervention	NIHR RfPB	£2.2M	1/06/17→31/05/23

 

 

Mapping modifiable determinants of medication adherence in bipolar disorder to the theoretical domains framework: a systematic review. Prajapati, A. R., Dima, A., Mosa, G., Scott, S., Song, F., Wilson, J. & Bhattacharya, D. 2021, Psychological Medicine

A practitioner behaviour change intervention for deprescribing in the hospital setting. Scott, S., May, H, Patel, M., Wright, D. J. & Bhattacharya, D. 2021, Age and Ageing

Barriers and facilitators to pharmacists integrating into the ward-based multidisciplinary team: a systematic review and meta-synthesis. Hatton, K., Bhattacharya, D., Scott, S. & Wright, D, 2021. Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy

Assessing the acceptability of a text messaging service and smartphone app to support patient adherence to medications prescribed for high blood pressure: A pilot study. Kassavou, A., Court, C. A., Chauhan, J., Brimicombe, J., Bhattacharya, D., Naughton, F., Hardeman, W., Mascolo, C. & Sutton, S. 2020. Pilot and Feasibility Studies

Do interventions to improve adherence to antiretroviral therapy recognise diversity? A systematic review. N Wali, A Renzaho, X Wang, B Atkins, D Bhattacharya. 2020 AIDS care  

Development of a hospital deprescribing implementation framework: A focus group study with geriatricians and pharmacists. ScottS, Patel, M, Twigg, MJ, Wright, D.J, Bhattacharya, D. 2019 Age and Ageing 

Barriers to medication adherence in long-term conditions: A conceptual framework to support intervention development. Easthall, C.E, Taylor, N, Bhattacharya, D. 2019 International Journal of Pharm Prac  

Attitudinal predictors of older peoples' and caregivers' desire to deprescribe in hospital. Scott S, Twigg, MJ, Wright, DJ, Bhattacharya, D.  2019 BMC Geriatrics. 

Barriers to medication adherence in patients prescribed medicines for the prevention of cardiovascular disease: a conceptual framework. Easthall C, Taylor N, Bhattacharya D. International Journal of Pharmacy Practice. 2018. 

Deprescribing admission medication at a UK teaching hospital; a report on quantity and nature of activity. Scott, Sion., ... Bhattacharya, D. 2018 International Journal of Clinical Pharmacy. 

Validation and Feasibility of the Medication Acceptability Questionnaire to Investigate Tablet and Liquid Alendronic Acid with Older Hospital Patients', Scott, S, Clark, A, May, H & Bhattacharya, D 2018, Pharmacy

Systematic review of the health and societal effects of medication organisation devices.  Watson, S, Aldus, C, Bond, C.M, Bhattacharya, D.  BMC Health Services Research. 2016

The feasibility of determining the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of Medication Organisation Devices compared to usual care for older people in a community setting: Systematic review, stakeholder focus groups and feasibility RCT.  Bhattacharya, D et al. Health Technology Assessment. 2016

Optimal health literacy measurement for the clinical setting: A systematic review.  Duell P, Wright D, Renzaho, Bhattacharya D. 2015 Patient education and counselling  

Improving adherence to glaucoma medication: a randomised controlled trial of a patient-centred intervention (The Norwich Adherence Glaucoma Study). Cate, H, Bhattacharya, D, Clark, A et al. 2014 BMC Ophthalmology 

Do older patients find multi-compartment medication devices easy to use and which are the easiest?  Adams, R, May, H, Swift, L, Bhattacharya, D.  Age and Ageing 2013. 

A meta-analysis of cognitive-based behaviour change techniques as interventions to improve medication adherence. Easthall C, Song F, Bhattacharya D.  BMJ Open 2013.

I welcome candidates from a variety of disciplinary backgrounds to join my research team. Skill sets that lend themselves particularly well to my programmes of research are a clinical or psychology background. My strands of research all focus on behaviour change; most notably patient behaviour change in the context of medication adherence and practitioner behaviour change in the context of deprescribing.

I have led the design and delivery of a placements programme spanning four years of a pharmacist training programme and clinical masters level module of an MPharm programme. Most recently I established a pharmacist non-medical prescribing programme for which I was course director for six years.

I would be delighted to have the opportunity to comment on topics related to pharmacy and health behaviour change specifically deprescribing and medication adherence.

 

2003 – 2004             Certificate in Higher Education practice.  University of East Anglia

1999 – 2003             PhD University of Bradford. ‘Pharmacist Domiciliary Visiting services’

1995 - 1999              B.Pharm (Hons) University of Bradford, School of Pharmacy