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Dr Kieran Dalton wins Practice-Based Research Award at Pharmacy Excellence Awards
Dr Kieran Dalton, Lecturer in Clinical Pharmacy in the School of Pharmacy, won the Practice-Based Research Award at the Pharmacy Excellence Awards Ceremony, which took place on Saturday 30th November in the Mansion House, Dublin.
These awards, in partnership with the Pharmacy Benevolent Fund, recognise the exceptional contributions of pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, pharmaceutical assistants, pharmacies, and pharmacy teams across the Republic of Ireland.
Dr Dalton has a wealth of experience in conducting practice-based research across a variety of settings – having published research in community pharmacy, hospital pharmacy, general practice, intermediate care, long-term care, and palliative care settings.
His research in the fields of pharmacy practice and medication optimisation is recognised nationally and internationally, and continues to help inform important clinical, economic, and policy impacts for patients and healthcare systems alike. To support the evidence for this, Dr Dalton has been collaborating with Ms Ciara Kirke from the Health Service Executive (HSE) on evaluating the iSIMPATHY project, for which Ms Kirke won the ‘Health Initiative of the Year’ at the Pharmacy Excellence Awards Ceremony.
Pictured (left to right): Ciara Kirke and Kieran Dalton
The iSIMPATHY project involved the novel implementation of pharmacists performing person-centred medication reviews in general practice settings in the Republic of Ireland. Dr Dalton and his School of Pharmacy colleagues (Dr Kevin Murphy, Professor Laura Sahm, and Professor Stephen Byrne) have been collaborating with Ms Kirke and her HSE colleagues since 2023 in evaluating the iSIMPATHY project, producing research publications demonstrating the substantial clinical and cost benefits of this initiative – the findings of which are helping to inform ongoing discussions for wider implementation.