Anna Birna Almarsdóttir

Short presentation

Prof. Almarsdóttir is trained as a pharmacist (M.Sc. in Pharmacy from the University of Iceland) and received her Ph.D. in Health Policy and Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA.

Primary fields of research

The research spans the areas of Medicines Use, Clinical Pharmacy, and Pharmaceutical Policy.

Within clinical pharmacy the focus is on clinical pharmacy services and medication safety (in the primary, secondary and tertiary health care sectors); within medicines use the focus is on adherence to medicines from the patient perspective and how policies affect adherence; and within pharmaceutical policy the focus is on regulatory decision making about medicines and the pharmacy profession.

Methods interests are mainly questionnaire construction, scale development, and triangulation of qualitative and quantitative research methods.

Current research (selected research projects)

• Impact of EU label changes and revised pregnancy prevention programme for valproate and oral retinoids - surveying patients, medical doctors and pharmacists in 8 EU countries
• The shifting regulatory landscape of biosimilars from stakeholder perspectives
• Pharmacists bridging the gap between secondary and primary care medication
• Patient Centered Communication in Community Pharmacies in Denmark

Teaching

Over 20 years of teaching experience within the curricula of pharmacy, medicine, public health, and health informatics on the bachelor, master, and doctoral levels (University of Copenhagen, University of Iceland, Reykjavík University, and University of Southern Denmark). Involved in professional continuing education through Copenhagen Summer University and WHO Colloborating Centre for research and training in the patient perspective on medicines use (https://whocc-meduse.ku.dk/).

Course leader on:

• Pharmaceutical Policy https://kurser.ku.dk/course/sfak18003u/
• Klinisk farmaci (e. Clinical Pharmacy) https://kurser.ku.dk/course/sfkkil009u/

Supervision

Has advised over 50 MS students and supervisor on five finished PhDs.

Current PhD students and thesis topics:

• Laura Jedig Lech (main supervisor): Pharmacists bridging the gap between secondary and primary care medication
  
• Louise Druedahl (main supervisor): The shifting regulatory landscape of biosimilars from stakeholder perspectives