Consumer engagement
Our approach
The Pharmacoepidemiology Research Group is focused on understanding how medicines are used in everyday practice and what this means for people living with chronic conditions. Using pharmacoepidemiological methods and real-world data, our research explores medication use, adherence, persistence, safety, and effectiveness across a wide range of therapeutic areas.
We believe strong partnerships with consumers are central to meaningful research. Our aim is to build long-term, ongoing relationships with consumers, ensuring their experiences and priorities are embedded across all stages of our research program. This approach helps us ensure that what we study is both scientifically rigorous and relevant to the communities it seeks to serve.
Current consumer groups
- Primary Cardiovascular Prevention Consumer Reference Group
- Medication Adherence Consumer Reference Group
- Quality use of Medicines Consumer Network
Why consumer involvement matters
Consumers provide insights that go beyond the clinical or statistical picture. Their lived experience of managing chronic conditions offers essential perspectives on how research can be designed, communicated, and translated into practice. Through active collaboration, consumers help us to:
- Identify issues and priorities that are most important to patients, carers, and communities.
- Strengthen research plans and ethics applications by ensuring they are meaningful and accessible.
- Develop plain language summaries and co-create engagement activities that share findings in clear and useful ways.
- Support translation of research into health services, practice, and policy.
Consumers are not asked to provide technical or scientific expertise (unless they wish to). Their primary role is to help ensure that research remains grounded in the realities of patient care and everyday life.
Building the group
We welcome people with a wide range of experiences. Members may include:
- People living with chronic conditions, including but not limited to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, kidney disease, or respiratory conditions.
- People at risk of developing chronic conditions.
- Carers and family members supporting those with chronic health needs.
- Healthcare professionals such as general practitioners, pharmacists, nurses, and allied health practitioners.
We are committed to reflecting the diversity of the Australian population, with representation from metropolitan, regional, and rural communities.
Our commitment
We are committed to building respectful, transparent, and sustainable partnerships with consumers. We see consumer engagement as a long-term collaboration. By working together over time, we can ensure our research leads to meaningful, lasting improvements in healthcare and outcomes for people living with chronic conditions.