Roseman University Researcher Awarded $100,000 Grant from Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America Foundation (PhRMA)

SOUTH JORDAN, Utah, May 2, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Elizabeth Unni, BS Pharm, MBA, PhD, was awarded $100,000 from the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) Foundation to study medication adherence. 

The grant will identify patients whose medication adherence changes after a heart attack or other CVE. Identifying and understanding changes in adherence and the reasons for the change can lead to better solutions for care providers who want to help patients reduce the risk of a future cardiovascular event, and can also reduce long-term healthcare costs.

Similar studies in Europe found that after a CVE about 20 percent of patients stop taking statin medication; this study includes a survey to find out why. "If we can understand the reasons [adherence decreases] then we can do something as an intervention to help patients realize the importance of taking these medications," said Unni.

The grant is a collaboration between Dr. Unni, Olayinka Shiyanbola, BPharm, PhD, from University of Wisconsin, and Brandon Bellows, PharmD, MS, from University of Utah. Bellows also works at SelectHealth in Utah, so data for the study will come from SelectHealth patients.

The PhRMA Foundation is focused on helping independent scientists conduct research on important topics related to the pharmaceutical industry. This grant funding is aimed at finding "highly-trained, top-quality scientists to help meet the growing needs of scientific and academic institutions, government, and the research-intensive pharmaceutical industry," according to the PhRMA Foundation website.

"I, and the entire College of Pharmacy faculty and staff, are proud of Dr. Unni for this tremendous accomplishment," said Dr. Scott Stolte, Dean of the College of Pharmacy at Roseman University. "She has worked hard to build the baseline of experience and expertise it takes to be competitive for a grant of this magnitude."

This is the first PhRMA grant that any researcher from Roseman University has received. Dr. Stolte believes it may open doors for Dr. Unni and other Roseman faculty members to be granted funding from PhRMA for other projects.

"This grant is a very prestigious, highly competitive award that recognizes talented young researchers," said Dr. Martin Lipsky, Chancellor at Roseman University's South Jordan, Utah campus. "Dr. Unni's grant relates to patient adherence, a critical element in developing strategies for taking better care of patients, both in our own community and nationally."

About Roseman University: www.roseman.edu

SOURCE Roseman University of Health Sciences