The CODEMISUSED project Mid-Term Review On Friday 1st May 2015 - The CODEMISUSED EU FP7 Marie Curie Industry Academia Partnership and Pathways (IAPP) research project hosted its Mid-Term Review Meeting in King’s College London, UK. The milestone event was attended by all six academic and industry partners and 27 secondees working on the CODEMISUSED project from Ireland, UK and South Africa, as well as a cohort of invited guests and colleagues including members of the Expert Advisory Panel, representatives from the European Commission Research Executive Agency (REA) Brussels, and an external scientific expert, Dr. Suzanne Nielsen who is a leading researcher and pharmacy practitioner in the addictions field. The occasion marked the mid-term for the project which has been running since September 2013 and embodied a constructive dialogue between the network participants and the Research Executive Agency project officer. The meeting provided a useful platform to deliver a valuable source of feedback and a timely update to both the consortium and the Research Executive Agency (REA), on the progress that the project is making in implementing its overarching goals and objectives. The meeting began with a 60 minute presentation by Dr. Marie Claire Van Hout, Project Coordinator & Principal Investigator; before hearing from each of the Work Package Leads. CODEMISUSED is unique in that it encompasses two-way secondments between industry and academic both intra- and internationally. During the day’s proceedings, each Marie Curie Fellow was invited to deliver an interactive and informative 10 minute PowerPoint Presentation based on their secondments. Each presentation offered a unique and truly invigorating insight into the Fellows’ research and training activities as well as dispensing a mosaic of individual experiences and cultural exchange. Delegates listened with vast interest as each Fellow provided an overview of the depth and range of their activity as part of their involvement with the IAPP Marie Curie Network. Notably, the presentations extended far beyond the scientific project and comprised each Fellow’s expectations on the possible impact of the Marie Curie action on their future career. CODEMISUSED is a multi-stakeholder international cross-border collaborative endeavour between academic researchers and pharmacists in Waterford Institute of Technology (lead partner), Cara Pharmacy, Donegal; Kings College, London; Weldrick’s Pharmacy, UK; Medical Research Council, South Africa; and the Local Choice Pharmacy, South Africa. The CODEMISUSED collaboration aims to estimate and gain further understanding into the extent of codeine use, misuse and dependence in Ireland, the UK and South Africa, in order The CODEMISUSED project has received funding from the European Community's Seventh Framework Programme FP7/2007-2013 under grant agreement no 611736. to design protective mechanisms for pharmacies to be able to track, monitor, support and refer for treatment. Given the difficulties in estimating the extent of this 'respectable form of addiction', CODEMISUSED is intended to promote the rational use of codeine products amongst the public as well as those involved in prescribing and dispensing. Ultimately the project intends to design several innovations to screen, support and educate customers, and empower pharmacies as custodians of codeine medicines. These mechanisms could include pharmacy based brief interventions and continuing staff training. During the period of research, staff from the academic Institutes and Pharmacy Groups will second to each other’s teams across the three jurisdictions in a mutual transfer/exchange of knowledge and learning. In response to the success of the project since it started, Padraig McGuinness, MPSI, Lead Researcher and Pharmacy Services Manager at the CARA Pharmacy Group said: “I was struck at how the project has influenced so many people’s lives and improved so many careers. We must remember the impact this project is having on so many people, and that's before it even gets as far as the patients. Thanks for having us [CARA] involved in such a great project with such a great team!” Dr. Marie Claire Van Hout, CODEMISUSED Principal Investigator and Project Coordinator stated: “We are absolutely delighted to work with our partners on this project given the importance of having academia and industry working side by side to improve patient outcomes. Now at mid-term review stage, we are all extremely looking forward to the next stage of the project”. The CODEMISUSED project has received funding from the European Community's Seventh Framework Programme FP7/2007-2013 under grant agreement no 611736. Attendees at the recent Mid-Term Review Meeting in King’s College London, UK This 48 month project is supported by an Expert Advisory Panel with representatives of the European Medicines Agency, European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, Pharmaceutical Society of South Africa and Royal Pharmaceutical Society UK. Dr Marie Claire Van Hout’s team at WIT consists of Prof John Wells, Dr Michael Bergin, Dr Martina Gooney and Dr. Michelle Foley. The CODEMISUSED Project was selected for funding under the FP7 Marie Curie Industry Academia Partnership and Pathways strand and has been accepted onto the register of EC funded studies on the ENCePP register of the EMA. The CODEMISUSED project has received funding from the European Community's Seventh Framework Programme FP7/2007-2013 under grant agreement no 611736. For further information on the project, please contact Ms. Margaret Walsh, CODEMISUSED Project Manager / Dr. Marie Claire Van Hout, CODEMISUSED Principal Investigator & Project Co-ordinator Waterford Institute of Technology Tel: +353 051-845548 e: codemisused@wit.ie / mcvanhout@wit.ie w: www.codemisused.org The CODEMISUSED project has received funding from the European Community's Seventh Framework Programme FP7/2007-2013 under grant agreement no 611736.