Dr Ramesh Walpola
Associate Professor

Dr Ramesh Walpola

Bachelor of Pharmacy (The University of Sydney) 

Doctor of Philosophy (The University of Sydney)

 

Medicine & Health
Faculty Office

 Dr Ramesh Walpola is a pharmacist, certified health manager (CHM) and the Pharmacy Academic Lead & Program Authority at the School of Health Sciences. His main area of research expertise and interest is in patient and medication safety, particularly examining the social determinants of safe practices. Ramesh completed his PhD at The University of Sydney in 2016, which focused on the development of educational interventions to enhance generational change in patient safety practices in the pharmacy setting. He was awarded the FIP Young Pharmacist Award for Professional Innovation in 2012 in recognition of the novelty of this work. Following his PhD, he worked in a number of clinical research roles, including a multi-centre deprescribing randomized controlled trial, development of inter-professional student-led clinics and a review of the junior undergraduate pharmacy practice curriculum at The University of Sydney. Ramesh’s current research spans a number of areas including patient and medication safety, safety culture, health professional education, patient experience with a focus on vulnerable populations. Ramesh is currently leading the implementation of the new pharmacy program in the School of Health Sciences, as part of the suite of new and relaunched health professional programs. 

Phone
+61-2-9385 1136
Location
Room 318, Level 3, Samuels Building
  • Book Chapters | 2019
    2019, 'Developing and Implementing Patient Safety Standards Within the Pharmacy Practice and Education Settings', in Babar Z-U-D (ed.), Encyclopedia of Pharmacy Practice and Clinical Pharmacy, Academic Press
  • Journal articles | 2023
    2023, 'Interplay of the microbiome and antifungal therapy in recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis (RVVC): A narrative review', Journal of Medical Microbiology, 72, http://dx.doi.org/10.1099/jmm.0.001705
    Journal articles | 2022
    2022, 'Achieving change readiness for health service innovations', Nursing Forum, 57, pp. 603 - 607, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/nuf.12713
    Journal articles | 2022
    2022, 'Assessing the environment for engagement in health services: The Audit for Consumer Engagement (ACE) tool', Health Expectations, 25, pp. 3027 - 3039, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/hex.13610
    Journal articles | 2022
    2022, 'Community pharmacists are central to improving medication safety for patients from ethnic minority backgrounds', International Journal of Pharmacy Practice, 30, pp. 3 - 4, http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ijpp/riab082
    Journal articles | 2022
    2022, 'Engaging with ethnic minority consumers to improve safety in cancer services: A national stakeholder analysis', Patient Education and Counseling, 105, pp. 2778 - 2784, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2022.04.014
    Journal articles | 2022
    2022, 'Evaluating clinician experience in value-based health care: the development and validation of the Clinician Experience Measure (CEM)', BMC Health Services Research, 22, http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12913-022-08900-8
    Journal articles | 2022
    2022, 'Home Care for Bronchiolitis: A Systematic Review', Pediatrics, 150, http://dx.doi.org/10.1542/peds.2022-056603
    Journal articles | 2022
    2022, 'Lived experience of medical management in recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis: a qualitative study of an uncertain journey', BMC Women's Health, 22, http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12905-022-01973-x
    Journal articles | 2022
    2022, 'The ultimate question? Evaluating the use of Net Promoter Score in healthcare: A systematic review', Health Expectations, 25, pp. 2328 - 2339, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/hex.13577
    Journal articles | 2021
    2021, 'Codesigning consumer engagement strategies with ethnic minority consumers in Australian cancer services: The CanEngage Project protocol', BMJ Open, 11, http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2020-048389
    Journal articles | 2021
    2021, 'Ensuring medication safety for consumers from ethnic minority backgrounds: The need to address unconscious bias within health systems', International Journal for Quality in Health Care, 33, http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/intqhc/mzab145
    Journal articles | 2021
    2021, 'Evidence-based update on Australasian pharmaceutical prescribing approaches for recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis', Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 61, pp. 496 - 499, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/ajo.13376
    Journal articles | 2021
    2021, 'Factors associated with medication adherence among people living with COPD: Pharmacists' perspectives', Exploratory Research in Clinical and Social Pharmacy, 3, pp. 100049, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.rcsop.2021.100049
    Journal articles | 2021
    2021, 'How do health services engage culturally and linguistically diverse consumers? An analysis of consumer engagement frameworks in Australia', Health Expectations, 24, pp. 1747 - 1762, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/hex.13315
    Journal articles | 2021
    2021, 'Improving primary health care quality for refugees and asylum seekers: A systematic review of interventional approaches', Health Expectations, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/hex.13365
    Journal articles | 2021
    2021, 'Medicine self-administration errors in the older adult population: A systematic review', Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy, 17, pp. 1877 - 1886, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.sapharm.2021.03.008
    Journal articles | 2021
    2021, 'Preparing for partnerships in cancer care: an explorative analysis of the role of family-based caregivers', BMC Health Services Research, 21, http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12913-021-06611-0
    Journal articles | 2021
    2021, 'Reflective practice: the essential competency for health systems and healthcare practitioners during the COVID-19 pandemic', Reflective Practice, 22, pp. 143 - 146, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14623943.2020.1860925
    Journal articles | 2021
    2021, 'The nature, severity and causes of medication incidents from an Australian community pharmacy incident reporting system: The QUMwatch study', British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 87, pp. 4809 - 4822, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bcp.14924
    Journal articles | 2021
    2021, 'Where Do Models for Change Management, Improvement and Implementation Meet? A Systematic Review of the Applications of Change Management Models in Healthcare.', J Healthc Leadersh, 13, pp. 85 - 108, http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/JHL.S289176
    Journal articles | 2020
    2020, 'Barriers and strategies for improving medication adherence among people living with copd: A systematic review', Respiratory Care, 65, pp. 1738 - 1750, http://dx.doi.org/10.4187/respcare.07355
    Journal articles | 2020
    2020, 'Managing Complex Healthcare Change: A Qualitative Exploration of Current Practice in New South Wales, Australia', Journal of Healthcare Leadership, 12, pp. 143 - 151, http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/jhl.s274958
    Journal articles | 2020
    2020, 'The safety of health care for ethnic minority patients: A systematic review', International Journal for Equity in Health, 19, pp. 118, http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12939-020-01223-2
    Journal articles | 2018
    2018, 'A scoping review of peer-led education in patient safety training', American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 82, pp. 115 - 123, http://dx.doi.org/10.5688/ajpe6110
    Journal articles | 2018
    2018, 'Community, hospital and industry preceptor perceptions of their role in experiential placements- the need for standardization of preceptor responsibilities and evaluations on students', Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning, 10, pp. 1447 - 1455, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cptl.2018.08.002
    Journal articles | 2018
    2018, 'Longitudinal interprofessional student-led clinics – a formula for implementation', International Journal of Pharmacy Practice, 26, pp. 473 - 474, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/ijpp.12495
    Journal articles | 2017
    2017, 'Evaluating the effectiveness of an educational intervention to improve the patient safety attitudes of intern pharmacists', American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 81
    Journal articles | 2017
    2017, 'Evaluation of a survey tool to measure safety climate in Australian hospital pharmacy staff', Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy, 13, pp. 789 - 795, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.sapharm.2016.10.001
    Journal articles | 2016
    2016, 'Enhancing generational change in patient safety attitudes through peer leadership', BMJ Simulation and Technology Enhanced Learning, 2, pp. 87 - 89, http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjstel-2016-000111
    Journal articles | 2015
    2015, 'An exploration of Australian hospital pharmacists' attitudes to patient safety', International Journal of Pharmacy Practice, 23, pp. 67 - 76, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/ijpp.12115
    Journal articles | 2015
    2015, 'Evaluating the effectiveness of a peerled education intervention to improve the patient safety attitudes of junior pharmacy students: A cross-sectional study using a latent growth curve modelling approach', BMJ Open, 5, http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2015-010045
    Journal articles | 2015
    2015, 'Validation of a survey tool to assess the patient safety attitudes of pharmacy students', BMJ Open, 5, http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2015-008442
  • Preprints | 2022
    2022, Evaluating clinician experience in value-based health care: The development and validation of the Clinician Experience Measure (CEM), , http://dx.doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-1571071/v1
    Reports | 2021
    2021, Clinician Experience of Virtual Modes, preprared by UNSW Sydney for the Strategic Reform Branch, New South Wales Ministry of Health
    Preprints | 2021
    2021, Preparing for Partnerships in Cancer Care: An Explorative Analysis of the Role of Family-Based Caregivers, , http://dx.doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-374973/v1
    Reports | 2020
    2020, Patient Safety: Pharmacists' role in 'Medication without harm', International Pharmaceutical Federation, The Hague, https://www.fip.org/file/4757
    Conference Abstracts | 2019
    2019, 'EXAMINING QUALITY IMPROVEMENT EVALUATIONS OF THE DOSE ADMINISTRATION AID PREPARATION PROCESS BY COMMUNITY PHARMACIES', in RESEARCH IN SOCIAL & ADMINISTRATIVE PHARMACY, ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC, Vol. 15, pp. E19 - E19, https://www.webofscience.com/api/gateway?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000468482900046&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=891bb5ab6ba270e68a29b250adbe88d1
    Conference Papers | 2018
    2018, 'FROM EXPECTATIONS TO EXPERIENCE: PHARMACY STUDENTS' PERCEPTIONS ON EXPERIENTIAL PLACEMENTS', in RESEARCH IN SOCIAL & ADMINISTRATIVE PHARMACY, ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC, pp. E45 - E45, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.sapharm.2018.05.088
    Conference Papers | 2018
    2018, 'PRECEPTOR PERCEPTIONS: STANDARDIZING EVALUATION AND FEEDBACK PROCESSES FOR EXPERIENTIAL PLACEMENTS', in RESEARCH IN SOCIAL & ADMINISTRATIVE PHARMACY, ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC, pp. E39 - E39, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.sapharm.2018.05.069
    Conference Papers | 2014
    2014, 'Developing a Peer-led Patient Safety Education Program for Pharmacy Students', in RESEARCH IN SOCIAL & ADMINISTRATIVE PHARMACY, ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC, pp. E17 - E17, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.sapharm.2014.07.049

International Pharmaceutical Federation Young Pharmacist/Pharmaceutical Scientist Award for Professional Innovation 2012 

Awarded for: The development and evaluation of a peer-led patient safety education program

 

UNSW Sydney, School of Public Health and Community Medicine Grant Building Support Scheme 2019

Awarded for: Refugee health facilitator program: evaluating scope, scalability and outcomes

 

UNSW Business Health@Business Research Network and UNSW Medicine Collaborative Seed Funding 2020

Awarded for: Who knows what’s in your medicine? Harmful excipients in medication and the overlooked consequences for public health in Australia


UNSW Business Health@Business Research Network and UNSW Medicine Collaborative Seed Funding 2020

Awarded for: Translation and change: Embedding effective change management in health

 

UNSW Sydney, School of Public Health and Community Medicine Grant Building Support Scheme 2020

Awarded for:  Understanding the needs of informal caregivers in managing medicines for people receiving cancer treatment

 

Australasian Pharmaceutical Science Association, Research Grant Scheme 2020

Awarded for: Developing a pharmacist led intervention to assist informal caregivers in managing medicines for people receiving cancer treatment

 

UTS Centre for Carer Research, Early Career Researcher Carer Investment Program 2020/21

Awarded for: Supporting the needs of informal caregivers in managing medicines for people receiving cancer treatment

 

UNSW Cancer Seed Grant 2021

Awarded for: Understanding the impact of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) on Australian cancer treatment

 

Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care, MRFF 2022 Models of Care to Improve the Efficiency and Effectiveness of Acute Care 

Awarded for: Working together: innovation to improve Emergency Department (ED) performance, and patient outcomes and experience for five complex consumer cohorts

 

International Pharmaceutical Federation Young Pharmacist/Pharmaceutical Scientist Award for Professional Innovation 2012 

Awarded for: The development and evaluation of a peer-led patient safety education program

Member of the International Pharmaceutical Federation Patient Safety Working Group

 

Member of the Patient Safety Movement Foundation Safety Culture Working Group

My Teaching

PHCM 9391 Strategy, Policy and Change

PHCM 9748 Clinical Governance and Risk Management