Professor David Alldred

Profile

I worked as a clinical pharmacist in secondary care before joining the University of Leeds as a research clinical pharmacist conducting a randomised controlled trial of pharmacist-led medication review for care home residents; this research formed the basis of my PhD. Following this, I was Lecturer in Pharmacy teaching pharmacology, therapeutics, pharmacy practice, evidence-based medicine, patient safety and medicines partnership.

I was appointed as Senior Lecturer in Pharmacy Practice at Bradford School of Pharmacy in 2013, and in 2015 was awarded the Pharmacy Practice UK Research Award and became a Fellow of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society. I was appointed as Associate Professor in Pharmacy Practice at the University of Leeds in 2015 and Professor of Medicines Use and Safety in 2017. I led the Safe Use of Medicines theme in the NIHR Yorkshire and Humber Patient Safety Translational Research Centre and currently co-lead the Decluttering Safely for Safety theme within the NIHR Yorkshire and Humber Patient Safety Research Collaboration. I also co-lead the Quality and Safety research theme for the School of Healthcare. I was appointed as a NIHR Senior Investigator in 2025.

Responsibilities

• Quality and Safety Theme Co-lead
• Co-lead for Decluttering for Safety, NIHR Yorkshire and Humber Patient Safety Research Collaboration
• School of Healthcare REF2029 Lead

Research interests

My research focuses on improving the use of medicines, particularly for older people living with frailty including those living in care homes and also underserved populations. My research employs various methodologies and methods including systematic reviews, qualitative studies, mixed methods and randomised controlled trials. I managed the Care Homes' Use of Medicines study (CHUMS), a UK Department of Health funded national study of medication errors in care homes, which has had a significant impact on practice and policy. I was a member of the Guideline Development Group for the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) Medicines Management in Care Homes Good Practice Guidance.

I have had leading roles on four NIHR Programme Grants for Applied Research - CHIPPS (testing the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of pharmacist prescribing in care homes), ISCOMAT (improving the experiences and outcomes for heart failure patients post-discharge through best use of medicines), CHARMER (testing the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a behaviour change intervention for geriatricians and pharmacists for deprescribing in hospital), and SaSI-MEDs (developing and evaluating an intervention to de-implement unnecessary double-checking of medicines in hospital). I work with NHS England to provide expertise on developing, implementing and evaluating programmes to improve the use of medicines, for example, the Medicines Optimisation for Care Homes scheme.

I supervise several NIHR-funded pre-doctoral and doctoral students who are investigating the safe and effective use of medicines in areas including critical care, diabetes, cystic fibrosis, paediatrics, and older people.

My role within the NIHR Yorkshire and Humber Patient Safety Research Collaboration focuses on reducing inappropriate polypharmacy and improving the safe use of medicines.  My research has a strong emphasis on translating research findings into practice and creating impact for patients and health and care organisations. In 2023-24 I worked with the Health Innovation Network to launch our co-designed medication review resources , available in multiple languages, to enhance the quality of medication reviews and reduce health inequalities.

Qualifications

• PhD
• MSc (Clinical Pharmacy)
• PGCert (Learning and Teaching)
• BPharm (Hons)

Professional memberships

• Fellow of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society
• Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

Student education

I teach across the range of pharmacy programmes including the Postgraduate Diploma in Pharmacy Practice and Independent Prescribing for Nurses, Midwives, Pharmacists and AHPs. My teaching focuses on therapeutics, evidence-based medicine, patient safety and research methods.

Research groups and institutes

• Medicines optimisation

Current postgraduate researchers

• Stephen Morris