Dr Christine Hirsch

Profile

I joined Aston Pharmacy School as part of the Pharmacy Practice team in June 2006, having spent most of my career as a clinical pharmacist in secondary care. For the last ten years I have worked part-time as a Palliative Care pharmacist in the West Midlands based most recently at Compton Hospice where I undertook research for a PhD looking at the treatment of bronchial secretions at the end of life.
During my career I have worked in various clinical areas but have most experience in oncology, neurology and palliative care. As a hospital pharmacist I specialised in aseptic services, cytotoxic reconstitution & medicines information. Throughout my career I have been involved in postgraduate pharmacy education as a tutor and visiting lecturer.

Qualifications & Education

Welsh School of Pharmacy U.W.I.S.T  1982
BPharm Hons

Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain ,1983, MRPharmS

The Victoria University of Manchester  1988, MSc in Hospital Pharmacy

Member College of Pharmacy Practice  1991,  MCPP

The University of Leeds  1993
Advanced Diploma in Clinical Pharmacy Teaching

Aston University 2007 PhD (Palliative Care – treatment of broncial secretions)

Employment

2006-date: Clinical Pharmacy teacher, Pharmacy School, Life and Health Sciences, Aston University.

2000 – 2008: Palliative Care Research Pharmacist (Part-time)  Compton Hospice, Wolverhampton WV3 9DH.

1997-2000: Palliative Care Research Pharmacist,  University Hospital Birmingham NHS Trust (Part-time)

1996-1997: Acting Chief Pharmacist, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, University Hospital Birmingham NHS Trust.

1989-1997: Principle Pharmacist Drug Information, Grade E. University Hospital Birmingham NHS Trust.

1988-1989: Staff Pharmacist Grade D, Birmingham Children’s Hospital.

1987-1988: Staff pharmacist /MSc Hospital Pharmacy, Hope Hospital Salford, Manchester.

1985-1987: Staff Pharmacist, Aseptic and Cytotoxic Services, University Hospital Birmingham NHS Trust.

1984-1985: Basic grade Pharmacist, University Hospital Birmingham NHS Trust.

1983-1984: Basic Grade Pharmacist, Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital

1982-1983: Pre-Registration Pharmacist, Royal London Hospital, Whitechapel.

External activities

2007-date Committee member Palliative Care Pharmacists Network www.pcpn.org.uk

2002 Member of the working party for the National Council for Hospice and Specialist Palliative Care Services on Guidance for Managing Cancer Pain in Adults.

Teaching activity

Member of the Pharmacy Teaching Program

Research interests

Pharmacy education development

Palliative Care

Member of the Medicines Research Unit

Membership of Professional Bodies

Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain

College of Pharamcy Practice 

Selected Publications

Hirsch C, Boulstridge L, Morrison. Editors The West Midlands Palliative Care Guidelines for the use of drugs in Symptom Control’. 4th Edition, 2007

Hirsch C, Johnson J, Faull C. Medicines management in palliative care.
In Faull C,(ed) et al .Handbook of Palliative Care. 2nd Ed . Oxford, Blackwell Publishing 2005.

Conference Abstracts

Hirsch C, Pearson D, Forrester L, Hall N, Perrin M. Non-medical prescribing in palliative care. From independent hospice to NHS – Making it work.Paper presented at Help the Hospices Conference 2-4 October 2007 Harrogate.

Set-up and maintenance of syringe drivers for subcutaneous drug administration in palliative care. Hirsch C, Marriott J, Langley C, Wilson K, Faull C. Poster presented at BPC 2002. Int J Pharm Pract 2002:10(suppl):R43.

Audit of transdermal fentanyl use in West Midlands Palliative Care settings. C Hirsch, C Faull, S Johnson, J Marriott and K Wilson (Oral presentation). BPC 2001 The Pharmaceutical Journal 265: (supp) R15.

Development of Standards for setting up and maintaining subcutaneous drug administration via a syringe driver. Hirsch C and Faull C. Poster presented at The Palliative care Congress. University of Warwick, Coventry 27th-29th March 2000.

Audit of transdermal fentanyl in West Midlands palliative care settings. Hirsch C, Faull C, Johnson S, Marriott J, Wilson K. Oral communication presented in the Practice Research Session on the British Pharmaceutical Conference. 2000. Abstract. Pharm J ;2000;265:R15

The stability of diamorphine and glycopyrrolate in PCA syringes. Smith J, Hirsch C, Marriott J, Wilson K, Nash S. Poster presented at British Pharmaceutical Conference 2000. Abstract Pharm J 2000;265:R69

Are guidelines for the use of drugs for symptom control in palliative care being used by GP registrars? Poster abstract. 7th Congress of European Association for Palliative Care Conference, Berlin. 2000. C Hirsch, C Faull, S Field, R Charlton

Symptom control guidelines for general practitioners in the West Midlands: are they used and are they useful? 7th
Congress of European Association for Palliative Care, Berlin. 2000. C Faull, C Hirsch, G Harris

Standards for setting up and maintaining subcutaneous drug administration via a syringe driver. C. Hirsch, C. Faull. Palliative Medicine 2000; 14: 327,

Conference presentation
7th Health Services Research and Pharmacy Practice Conference. Nottingham University 20th April 2001. Ethical Dilemmas in Palliative care