School of Pharmacy

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Li Shean Toh

Assistant Professor, Faculty of Science

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Biography

Dr Li Shean Toh is an assistant professor at the Division of Pharmacy Practice and Policy. Prior to her appointment at the division she worked as a lecturer in medicines management at the University of Tasmania, Australia. Li Shean obtained her PhD from the University of Nottingham and she has worked as a pharmacist in various areas which includes tertiary hospital, general practice and community. Her Master of Pharmacy was completed at the University of Strathcylde, UK.

Li Shean's main research focuses on improving health services by translating research into practice. She seeks to combine both in depth qualitative and quantitative methodologies to inform and change practice and policy. Her particular area of expertise is to explore the pharmacists role in patient care most notably in osteoporosis and prescribing in general practice. Other areas of interest include health literacy, patient experiences, intercultural competencies and interpofessional collaboration. Her latest and novel research area is in Astropharmacy, exploring medication safety and pharmacy services in space.She has funded project with the UK Space Agency. She had also led the recent inclusion of Pharmacological Countermeasures on the forthcoming European Space Agency (ESA) SciSpacE roadmap as well as an expert advisor with the United Nations (UN) and Royal Society. She has recently been awarded the European Space Leader Award by the Space Generation Advisory Council.

Expertise Summary

Health service research

Pharmacists role

Osteoporosis

Astropharmacy

Health literacy

Patient experiences

Intercultural competencies

Inter-professional collaboration

Teaching Summary

Dr Toh is currently teaching in the Gastrointestinal and Liver disease as well as in the Astropharmacy and Astromedicine module. She is the academic-lead for placements and interprofessional… read more

Research Summary

Li Shean's goal is to be the catalyst to improve clinical practice by utilizing evidence based research. Her recent research developed a pharmacist-led osteoporosis screening program at the primary… read more

Selected Publications

Dr Toh is currently teaching in the Gastrointestinal and Liver disease as well as in the Astropharmacy and Astromedicine module. She is the academic-lead for placements and interprofessional education (IPE) in the MPharm course at the University of Nottingham. She also teaches research methods such as qualitative research.

In Australia, Dr Toh has also been responsible for the coordination, design and development of a pharmacy practice unit within the Bachelor of Pharmacy in Australia. She has experience in teaching pharmacology across many courses in Australia including Bachelor of Pharmacy, Bachelor of Nursing, Paramedic Practice, Bachelor of Medical Degree, Bachelor of Biotechnology and Masters of Pharmaceutical sciences.

Her teaching interest includes pharmacy practice, pharmacology, qualitative research methodology, quantitative research methodology, osteoporosis, primary care, screening, general practice, behaviour, intervention, translational research, interprofessional collaboration and intercultural competencies.

Li Shean is currently supervising several students in their PhD, Masters and Honours.

Current Research

Li Shean's goal is to be the catalyst to improve clinical practice by utilizing evidence based research. Her recent research developed a pharmacist-led osteoporosis screening program at the primary care level using the UK Medical Research Council (UK MRC) framework and the Behavioural Change Wheel (BCW). Since then she is expanding her research to developing Australian quality prescribing indicators for general practice. She is also involved in research with inter-professional collaboration and health literacy. Li Shean's internationalism has sparked a keen interest in cultural competencies research. Her latest research is in a novel field called Astropharmacy. This project involves developing pharmacy services in space travel and understanding the human factors involved in space travel. https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/pharmacy/research/divisions/molecular-therapeutics-and-formulation/research/astropharmacy-and-astromedicine.aspx'

Current projects:

  • Enhancing how medications can be used safely effectively in space exploration (Astropharmacy)
  • Cluster randomization trial of the pharmacist-led osteoporosis screening programme in Malaysia
  • Developing and implementing Australian quality prescribing safety indicators for general practice
  • Developing a Tasmanian secondary fracture prevention programme
  • The association of vertebral fractures and various medications using morphometric x-ray absorptiometry (MXA)
  • Exploring the osteoporotic patients' experience
  • Osteoporosis health literacy in postmenopausal women and healthcare professionals

  • Developing pharmacy services in space travel and exploring the effects of human factors in space travel

Past Research

Dr Li Shean is currently involved in a number of projects involving partnership between the disciplines of Pharmacy, Nursing and Medicine in Australia and Tasmanian general practices. She also has collaborations with UK, Italy and Malaysia. In the past, she has worked with the Malaysian Ministry of Health where state wide changes were made to the asthma management.

  • SAWYERS, LUKE, ANDERSON, CLAIRE, BOYD, MATTHEW J, HESSEL, VOLKER, WOTRING, VIRGINIA, WILLIAMS, PHILIP M and TOH, LI SHEAN, 2022. Astropharmacy: Pushing the boundaries of the pharmacists' role for sustainable space exploration. Research in social & administrative pharmacy : RSAP.
  • BAAMER, REHAM M, IQBAL, AYESHA, LOBO, DILEEP N, KNAGGS, ROGER D, LEVY, NICHOLAS A and TOH, LI S, 2022. The utility of unidimensional and functional pain assessment tools in adult postoperative patients: a systematic review. British journal of anaesthesia.
  • LUKE SAWYERS, CLAIRE ANDERSON, MATTHEW BOYD and LI SHEAN TOH, 2021. Astropharmacy: Exploring the Pharmacist’s Role in Space travel International Journal of Pharmacy Practice. 29(Issue Supplement_1), i9-i10
  • LAI, PAULINE SIEW MEI, CHUNG, WEN WEI, TOH, LI SHEAN and OTHMAN, SAJARATULNISAH, 2018. Development and validation of an Ambulatory Care Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire to assess pharmacy services in Malaysia INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PHARMACY. 40(5), 1309-1316
  • TOH, L. S., LAI, P. S. M., OTHMAN, S., SHAH, A., DANG, C. P. L., LOW, B. Y., WONG, K. T. and ANDERSON, C., 2018. Exploring the current and future role of the pharmacists in osteoporosis screening and management in Malaysia INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PHARMACY. 40(2), 450-457
  • TOH L.S., CHUNDURU A., CARUSO V and RANDALL C, 2018. Exploring stakeholders perception of Tasmanian postmenopausal women experience in prevention and screening of osteoporosis Research in Social Administrative Pharmacy. 14, e33
  • TOH LS, LAI PS, OTHMAN S, WONG KT, LOW BY and ANDERSON C, 2017. An analysis of inter-professional collaboration in osteoporosis screening at a primary care level using the D'Amour model. Research in Social & Administrative Pharmacy : RSAP. 13(6), 1142-1150
  • TOH L.S., THOMPSON A., SHAH A., COUSINS J., JACKSON S., COOLING N. and PETERSON G., 2017. "Good prescribing is a bit like good driving; everybody thinks they’re a good driver.” An exploratory study on the barriers and facilitators to using quality prescribing indicators (QPIs) in general practice In: APSA-ASCEPT Joint Scientific Meeting. 61
  • TOH, L.S., LAI, P.S.M., WU, D.B.C., LOW, B.Y., WONG, K.T. and ANDERSON, C., 2016. The feasibility of a pharmacist-led osteoporosis screening program in a Malaysian primary care clinic In: Australasian Pharmaceutical Science Association Annual Conference, Sydney, Australia, 2-5 Dec 2016..
  • TOH, L.S., LAI, P.S.M., WU, D.B.C., WONG, K.T., LOW, B.Y. and ANDERSON, C., 2015. The Development and Validation of the Osteoporosis Prevention and Awareness Tool (OPAAT) in Malaysia PLoS ONE. 10(5), e0124553
  • TOH L.S., LAI P.S.M., OTHMAN S., LOW B.Y. and ANDERSON C., 2015. Perceived barriers to conducting a pharmacist-led osteoporosis screening program in a primary care clinic in Malaysia: A qualitative study Osteoporosis International. 26(Supp 1), C106
  • TOH, L.S., LAI, P.S.M., WONG, K.T., LOW, B.Y., ANDERSON, C., 2014. Interprofessional collaboration - Can Malaysian pharmacists expand their non-dispensing role in osteoporosis screening and prevention? In: International Social Pharmacy Workshop (ISPW), Boston, Massachusetts, United State of America (USA), 5-8 Aug 2014.
  • TOH, LI SHEAN, LAI, PAULINE SIEW MEI, WU, DAVID BIN-CHIA, WONG, KOK THONG, LOW, BEE YEAN, TAN, ALEXANDER TONG BOON and ANDERSON, CLAIRE, 2014. The development and validation of the Satisfaction Questionnaire for Osteoporosis Prevention in Malaysia PATIENT PREFERENCE AND ADHERENCE. 8, 1365-1381
  • TOH, L. S., LAI, P. S. M., WONG, K. T., LOW, B. Y. and ANDERSON, C., 2014. Interprofessional Collaboration - Can Malaysian Pharmacists Expand their Non-dispensing Role in Osteoporosis Screening and Prevention? RESEARCH IN SOCIAL & ADMINISTRATIVE PHARMACY. 10(5), E29-E29
  • TOH, L.S., LAI, P.S.M., WONG, K.T., LOW, B.Y., ANDERSON, C., 2013. Development and validation of the Satisfaction Questionnaire for Osteoporosis Prevention (SQOP) in Malaysia. In: European Congress on Osteoporosis and Osteoarthritis 2013, Rome Cavalieri, Italy, 17-20 April 2013.
  • TOH, L.S., LAI, P.S.M., WONG, K.T., LOW, B.Y., OTHMAN, S., ANDERSON, C., 2013. Is there a role for the pharmacist in an osteoporosis screening and prevention program? In: Health Services Research & Pharmacy Practice Conference 2013, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, United Kingdom, 9-10 May 2013.
  • TOH, LI SHEAN, LAI, PAULINE SIEW MEI, WONG, KOK THONG, LOW, BEE YEAN and ANDERSON, CLAIRE, 2013. DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF THE SATISFACTION QUESTIONNAIRE FOR OSTEOPOROSIS PREVENTION (SQOP) IN MALAYSIA OSTEOPOROSIS INTERNATIONAL. 24, S155-S156
  • TOH, L.S., LAI, P.S.M., WONG, K.T., LOW, B.Y. and ANDERSON, C., 2012. What are the barriers encountered while screening for osteoporosis in a government university hospital primary care setting? Preliminary results of a qualitative study on Malaysian nurses’ views. In: IOF Regionals 3rd Asia-Pacific Osteoporosis Meeting 2012, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 13-16 Dec 2012.
  • NOR AZILA M.I., SHUAITA M.N., UTHAYALAXMI N., AHMAD NAZIFI S., TOH L.S., MOHD AZRUL Z., NORAZIANI K., NOR IZZAH A.S, 2010. Improving the percentage of asthmatics receiving optimal assessment during follow up in health clinics Technical Report 2010 (Selangor State Health Department).
  • LI SHEAN TOH, PAULINE SIEW MEI LAI, DAVID BIN-CHIA WU, KOK THONG WONG, BEE YEAN LOW, CLAIRE ANDERSON., The Development and Validation of the Osteoporosis Prevention and Awareness Tool (OPAAT) in Malaysia PLOS ONE. 10(10.1371/journal.pone.0124553), 1371
  • TOH L.S. and LAI P.S.M., The development of a pharmacist-led osteoporosis screening intervention using the behavioural change wheel International Journal of Pharmacy Practice.

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