Dr Karen Whitfield
Honorary Associate Professor
School of Pharmacy
Researcher biography
Associate Professor
Pharmacy Australia Centre of Excellence Email: karen.whitfield@uq.edu.au
Dr Karen Whitfield is an Associate Professor within the School of Pharmacy and is the Program Lead for the Master of Clinical Pharmacy.https://future-students.uq.edu.au/study/programs/master-clinical-pharmacy-5718
Karen was awarded the Research Excellence Award for Research Support - Metro North Health Service in 2020 and the Australian Clinical Pharmacist awarded by the Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia in 2017
Karen has worked at a number of different hospital including Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Leicester Royal Infirmary, Leicester General Infirmary, North Staffordshire Hospital Trust (Surgical and Paediatric Directorate Pharmacist), The Townsville Hospital. Most recently she has worked at the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital (from 2015-2021) holding several positions including, Team Leader Women's and Newborns and Assistant Director Cancer Care Services. She has also held a number of teaching positions including, Sr Lecturer James Cooke University, Teacher Practitioner with Medicines Services Queensland and lecturer with the University of Queensland.
Her specialist interests include Women's Health and Neonatology
She completed a Diploma in Hospital Pharmacy (1991), Masters in Clinical Pharmacy (1996) and completed her PhD at Aston University in 2002 under the supervision of Dr John Marriott and Dr Keith Wilson at the Birmingham Children's Hospital UK, investigating sedatives in the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit.
Karen has presented work Nationally and Internationally at several Seminars and Conferences including, Life Long Learning for Pharmacists Conference (Dublin 2020, Croatia 2016), FIP webinar series 'Hearing from our Hero's' (2020), Monash Pharmacy Education Symposium (2019), MM2018 SHPA Conference Brisbane (2018), Neonatal and Paediatric Pharmacists Conference UK (2015), Society of Obstetric Medicine Australia and New Zealand (Melbourne 2015).
Book Chapter
Whitfield, Karen and Clavarino, Alexandra (2022). Women’s health from a pharmacy perspective. Encyclopedia of evidence in pharmaceutical public health and health services research in pharmacy. (pp. 1-21) edited by Zaheer-Ud-Din Babar . Cham, Switzerland: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-50247-8_19-1
Journal Articles
Canning, Martin Luke, Barras, Michael, McDougall, Ross, Yerkovich, Stephanie, Coombes, Ian, Sullivan, Clair and Whitfield, Karen (2024). Defining quality indicators, pharmaceutical care bundles and outcomes of clinical pharmacy service delivery using a Delphi consensus approach. International Journal of Clinical Pharmacy, 46 (2), 451-462. doi: 10.1007/s11096-023-01681-y
Nakagaki, Midori, Kennedy, Glen A., Gavin, Nicole C., Butler, Jason, Clavarino, Alexandra and Whitfield, Karen (2023). A randomised trial of topical polaprezinc to prevent oral mucositis in patients undergoing haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (ToPaZ study). Supportive Care in Cancer, 32 (1) 44, 1-10. doi: 10.1007/s00520-023-08235-y
Halimi, Syafiqah Nadiah, Mirzaei, Ardalan, Rowett, Debra, Whitfield, Karen and Luetsch, Karen (2023). Resilience and empathy in pharmacy interns: Insights from a three-year cohort study. Exploratory Research in Clinical and Social Pharmacy, 12 100333, 1-8. doi: 10.1016/j.rcsop.2023.100333
Mahmood, Shakil, Tanvir, E. M., Komarova, Tatiana, Islam, Md Nazrul, Khatun, Mahbuba, Hossain, Md Fuad, Ng, Jack C., Whitfield, Karen M., Hossain, Md Sabir, Khalil, Md Ibrahim and Shaw, P. Nicholas (2023). Relationships between growth indicators, liver and kidney function markers, and blood concentrations of essential and potentially toxic elements in environmentally exposed young children. International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health, 253 114237, 1-12. doi: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2023.114237
Davies, Karen M., Coombes, Ian D., Keogh, Samantha, Hay, Karen and Whitfield, Karen M. (2023). Medication administration evaluation and feedback tool: Longitudinal cohort observational intervention. Collegian, 30 (3), 417-423. doi: 10.1016/j.colegn.2022.12.001
Halimi, Syafiqah Nadiah, Rowett, Debra, Whitfield, Karen and Luetsch, Karen (2023). How early career pharmacists understand resilience – A qualitative study of experiences, challenges and strategies. Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy, 19 (3), 486-494. doi: 10.1016/j.sapharm.2022.10.012
Firman, Paul, Tan, Ken-Soon, Clavarino, Alexandra, Taing, Meng-Wong, Dixon, Sally, Singh, Helender and Whitfield, Karen (2022). The Development, Implementation, and Evaluation of a Pharmacist-Managed Therapeutic Drug Monitoring (TDM) Service for Vancomycin—A Pilot Study. Pharmacy, 10 (6) 173, 1-12. doi: 10.3390/pharmacy10060173
Davies, Karen, Hay, Karen, Whitfield, Karen, Chippindall, Karen, Donovan, Peter, Keogh, Samantha and Coombes, Ian (2022). 132. How using the medication administration evaluation feedback tool improves nurses infection prevention strategies: Stepped wedge cluster randomised trial. Infection, Disease & Health, 27, S15. doi: 10.1016/j.idh.2022.09.052
Hong, Lisa, Davies, Mark and Whitfield, Karen (2022). Noradrenaline use for neonatal circulatory support. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health, 58 (11), 2084-2090. doi: 10.1111/jpc.16226
Firman, Paul, Tan, Ken-Soon, Clavarino, Alexandra, Taing, Meng-Wong and Whitfield, Karen (2022). Pharmacist-managed therapeutic drug monitoring programs within australian hospital and health services—a national survey of current practice. Pharmacy, 10 (5) 135, 1-11. doi: 10.3390/pharmacy10050135
Nakagaki, Midori, Kennedy, Glen A., Gavin, Nicole C., Clavarino, Alexandra and Whitfield, Karen (2022). The incidence of severe oral mucositis in patients undergoing different conditioning regimens in haematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Supportive Care in Cancer, 30 (11), 1-9. doi: 10.1007/s00520-022-07328-4
Davidson, Jared, Simmonds, Claire, Whitfield, Karen and Wilby, Kyle John (2021). Students’ proposed self-management strategies in response to written cases depicting situations of adversity. Pharmacy Education, 21 (1), 810-816. doi: 10.46542/pe.2021.211.810816
Tanvir, E.M., Komarova, Tatiana, Comino, Eva, Sumner, Ronald, Whitfield, Karen M. and Shaw, P. Nicholas (2021). Effects of storage conditions on the stability and distribution of clinical trace elements in whole blood and plasma: application of ICP-MS. Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology, 68 126804, 126804. doi: 10.1016/j.jtemb.2021.126804
Nakagaki, Midori, Gavin, Nicole C., Clavarino, Alexandra, Kennedy, Glen A. and Whitfield, Karen (2021). A real-world accuracy of oral mucositis grading in patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Supportive Care in Cancer, 30 (3), 2705-2712. doi: 10.1007/s00520-021-06654-3
Tanvir, E. M., Mahmood, Shakil, Islam, Md Nazrul, Khatun, Mahbuba, Afroz, Rizwana, Islam, Shaikh Shohidul, Afrin, Sabrina, Khalil, Md Ibrahim, Chowdhury, Muhammed Alamgir Zaman, Ng, Jack C., Whitfield, Karen M. and Shaw, P. Nicholas (2021). Environmental exposure to metals and metalloids in primary school-aged children living in industrialised areas of Eastern South Asian megacity Dhaka, Bangladesh. Exposure and Health, 14 (3), 671-684. doi: 10.1007/s12403-021-00443-3
Whitfield, Karen, Coombes, Ian, Denaro, Charles and Donovan, Peter (2021). Medication utilisation program, quality improvement and research pharmacist—implementation strategies and preliminary findings. Pharmacy, 9 (4) 182. doi: 10.3390/pharmacy9040182
O’Connor, Kristin, Davies, Mark W., Koorts, Pieter, Cartwright, David W. and Whitfield, Karen (2021). Gentamicin dosing in neonates with normal renal function: trough and peak levels. European Journal of Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, 46 (5), 677-684. doi: 10.1007/s13318-021-00708-x
Firman, Paul, Whitfield, Karen, Tan, Ken‐Soon, Clavarino, Alexandra and Hay, Karen (2021). The impact of an electronic hospital system on therapeutic drug monitoring. Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics, 46 (6) jcpt.13497, 1613-1621. doi: 10.1111/jcpt.13497
Whitfield, Karen, Arya, Vibhuti, Austin, Zubin, Bajis, Dalia, Bradley, Catriona, Clark, Bronwyn, Exintaris, Betty, Galbraith, Kirsten, El Hajj, Maguy Saffouh, Hall, Kat, Hughes, Louise, Kirsa, Sue, Langran, Catherine, Mantzourani, Efi, Wilby, Kyle John and Willis, Sarah (2021). Developing a global community of practice for pharmacy workforce resilience—meet GRiT. Pharmacy, 9 (2) 110. doi: 10.3390/pharmacy9020110
Whitfield, Karen M. and Wilby, Kyle John (2021). Developing Grit, Motivation, and Resilience: To Give Up on Giving In. Pharmacy, 9 (2) 109, 1-8. doi: 10.3390/pharmacy9020109
Whitfield, Karen M., Dresser, Jacob D., Magoffin, Rowena and Wilby, Kyle J. (2021). Maintaining and maximising motivation to progress scholarly work during challenges times – reflections from the pandemic. Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning, 13 (3), 193-197. doi: 10.1016/j.cptl.2020.10.017
Dresser, Jacob D., Whitfield, Karen M., Kremer, Lisa J. and Wilby, Kyle J. (2021). Exploring how postmillennial pharmacy students balance life priorities and avoid situations known to deplete resilience. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 85 (4) 8369, 311-316. doi: 10.5688/ajpe8369
North, Angela M., Barrett, Helen L., Lust, Karin M. and Whitfield, Karen M. (2020). Therapeutic anticoagulation during the postnatal peripartum period: a survey of clinical practice. Journal of Pharmacy Practice and Research, 50 (3), 213-219. doi: 10.1002/jppr.1617
Tanvir, E. M., Whitfield, Karen M., Ng, Jack C. and Shaw, P. Nicholas (2020). Development and validation of an ICP-MS method and its application to determine multiple trace elements in small volumes of whole blood and plasma. Journal of Analytical Toxicology, 44 (9), 1036-1046. doi: 10.1093/jat/bkaa033
Davies, Karen M., Coombes, Ian D., Keogh, Samantha, Hay, Karen and Whitfield, Karen M. (2020). Medication administration evaluation and feedback tool: inter-rater reliability in the clinical setting. Collegian, 28 (4), 369-375. doi: 10.1016/j.colegn.2020.10.001
Davies, Karen M., Coombes, Ian D., Keogh, Samantha, Hay, Karen, Hurst, Cameron and Whitfield, Karen M. (2019). Medication administration evaluation and feedback tool: Simulation reliability testing. Clinical Simulation in Nursing, 32, 1-7. doi: 10.1016/j.ecns.2019.03.010
Davies, Karen M., Coombes, Ian D., Keogh, Samantha and Whitfield, Karen M. (2019). Medication administration evaluation tool design: an expert panel review. Collegian, 26 (1), 118-124. doi: 10.1016/j.colegn.2018.05.001
Niethe, Miranda and Whitfield, Karen (2018). Psychotropic medication use during pregnancy. Journal of Pharmacy Practice and Research, 48 (4), 384-391. doi: 10.1002/jppr.1483
North, Angela M., Barrett, Helen L., Lust, Karin M. and Whitfield, Karen M. (2018). Therapeutic heparin during the peripartum period – challenges associated with safe use. Journal of Pharmacy Practice and Research, 48 (4), 314-319. doi: 10.1002/jppr.1399
Whitfield, Karen (2018). The SHPA Australian Clinical Pharmacy Award 2017 Oration. Pharmacy Growth, Research, Innovation and Training, 2 (1). doi: 10.24080/grit.1084
Whitfield, Karen (2017). The emerging role of the women's and newborns' pharmacist. Journal of Pharmacy Practice and Research, 47 (4), 254-255. doi: 10.1002/jppr.1372
Taufek, Nor Mohd, Cartwright, David, Hewavitharana, Amitha, Koorts, Pieter, McConachy, Helen, Shaw, Nick, Whitfield, Karen and Davies, Mark (2016). To investigate the effect of the pasteurisation process on trace elements in donor breast milk. e ADC, 101 (9), A13-A14. doi: 10.1136/archdischild-2016-311535.27
Al-Adhami, Noor, Whitfield, Karen and North, Angela (2016). Changing prescribing culture - a focus on codeine postpartum. Archives of Disease in Childhood, 101 (9), e2.12-e2. doi: 10.1136/archdischild-2016-311535.2
Mohd-Taufek, N., Cartwright, D., Davies, M., Hewavitharana, A. K., Koorts, P., McConachy, H., Shaw, P. N., Sumner, R. and Whitfield, K. (2016). The effect of pasteurization on trace elements in donor breast milk. Journal of Perinatology, 36 (10), 897-900. doi: 10.1038/jp.2016.88
Gomes, Fabio P., Shaw, P. Nicholas, Whitfield, Karen, Koorts, Pieter, McConachy, Helen and Hewavitharana, Amitha K. (2016). Effect of pasteurisation on the concentrations of vitamin D compounds in donor breastmilk. International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, 67 (1), 16-19. doi: 10.3109/09637486.2015.1126566
Mohd-Taufek, Nor, Cartwright, David, Davies, Mark, Hewavitharana, Amitha K., Koorts, Pieter, Shaw, Paul N., Sumner, Ronald, Lee, Eugene and Whitfield, Karen (2016). The simultaneous analysis of eight essential trace elements in human milk by ICP-MS. Food Analytical Methods, 9 (7), 1-8. doi: 10.1007/s12161-015-0396-z
Stacey, Sonya R., Coombes, Ian, Cardiff, Lynda, Wainwright, Claire and Whitfield, Karen M. (2015). Using the general levelframework to guide training and development needs of pharmacists working in paediatrics. Journal of Pharmacy Practice and Research, 45 (3), 322-330. doi: 10.1002/jppr.1140
Gomes, Fabio P., Shaw, P. Nicholas, Whitfield, Karen and Hewavitharana, Amitha K. (2015). Simultaneous quantitative analysis of eight vitamin D analogues in milk using liquid chromatographyetandem mass spectrometry. Analytica Chimica Acta, 891 234099, 211-220. doi: 10.1016/j.aca.2015.08.017
Whitfield, Karen (2014). Innovation - an essential leadership skill, limited only by one’s own imagination. Journal of Pharmacy Practice and Research, 44 (3), 167-169. doi: 10.1002/jppr.1014
Stacey, Sonya, Coombes, Ian, Wainwright, Claire, Klee, Brittany, Miller, Hugh and Whitfield, Karen (2014). Characteristics of adverse medication events in a children's hospital. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health, 50 (12), 966-971. doi: 10.1111/jpc.12684
Stacey, Sonya R., Coombes, Ian, Wainwright, Claire, Cardiff, Lynda and Whitfield, Karen (2014). What does advanced practice mean to Australian paediatric pharmacists? A focus group study. International Journal of Pharmacy Practice, 23 (2), 141-149. doi: 10.1111/ijpp.12113
Niyomnaitham, Suvimol, Page, Andrew, La Caze, Adam, Whitfield, Karen and Smith, Alesha J. (2014). Utilisation trends of rosiglitazone and pioglitazone in Australia before and after safety warnings. BMC Health Services Research, 14 (1) 151, 151. doi: 10.1186/1472-6963-14-151
Hale, A. R., Coombes, I. D., Stokes, J., McDougall, D., Whitfield, K., Maycock, E. and Nissen, L. (2013). Perioperative medication management: Expanding the role of the preadmission clinic pharmacist in a single centre, randomised controlled trial of collaborative prescribing. BMJ Open, 3 (7) e003027, e003027. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2013-003027
Gomes, Fabio P., Shaw, P. Nicholas, Whitfield, Karen, Koorts, Pieter and Hewavitharana, Amitha K. (2013). Recent trends in the determination of vitamin D. Bioanalysis, 5 (24), 3063-3078. doi: 10.4155/bio.13.283
Coombes, Ian, Avent, Minyon, Cardiff, Lynda, Bettenay, Karen, Coombes, Judith, Whitfield, Karen, Stokes, Julie, Davies, Graham and Bates, Ian (2010). Improvement in pharmacist's performance facilitated by an adapted competency-based general level framework. Journal of Pharmacy Practice and Research, 40 (2), 111-118. doi: 10.1002/j.2055-2335.2010.tb00517.x
Conference Papers
Halimi, Syafiqah Nadiah, Luetsch, Karen, Whitfield, Karen and Rowett, Debra (2023). An exploration of resilience with early career pharmacists: a qualitative study. 2022 International Social Pharmacy Workshop, Online, 11-14 July 2022. Philadelphia, PA United States: Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/j.sapharm.2023.04.004
Gomes, Fabio, Shaw, Nick, Whitfield, Karen, Koorts, Pieter, McConachy, Helen and Hewavitharana, Amitha (2016). Effect of pasteurisation on the concentrations of vitamin D compounds in donor breast milk. Neonatal and Paediatric Pharmacists Group (NPPG) 21st Annual Conference, London, United Kingdom, 6–8 November 2015. London, United Kingdom: BMJ Group. doi: 10.1136/archdischild-2016-311535.26
Whitfield, Karen, Barkeij, Claudia and North, Angela (2016). Medication management of the extremely premature neonate - The impact of a specialist pharmacist. Neonatal and Paediatric Pharmacists Group (NPPG), 21st Annual Conference, United Kingdom, 6–8 November 2015. London, United Kingdom: BMJ. doi: 10.1136/archdischild-2016-311535.55
Stacey, Sonya and Whitfield, Karen (2012). Advanced practice in pediatric pharmacy: the Australian experience. 21st Annual Meeting Pediatric Pharmacy Advocacy Group, Houston, TX, United States, April 2012. Memphis, TN, United States: Pediatric Pharmacy Advocacy Group. doi: 10.5863/1551-6776-17.1.104
Burrows, J., Winckel, K. and Whitfield, K. (2011). Outcomes of a structured clinical placement as part of the curriculum for international students in a postgraduate clinical pharmacy program. Monash Pharmacy Education Symposium 2011, Prato, Italy, 11 - 13 July 2011.