Workshop 13: The assessment of medication adherence in clinical trials: challenges and best practices
Tracks
Track 3
| Monday, July 13, 2026 |
| 11:30 AM - 1:30 PM |
Details
Sub-optimal medication adherence is pervasive in all aspects of clinical trial research yet the measurement and reporting of this important outcome is often minimal. This workshop will equip participants with an understanding of the methods and guidelines that can help better interpret the findings of clinical trials. The workshop will emphasize the importance of separating adherence according to phases, specifically initiation, implementation and persistence, and the application of the TEOS framework for constructing operational definitions of medication adherence. Through a review of recent knowledge and use of case studies, the workshop will describe best practices for adherence measurement and analysis. Applications and examples relating to trial run-in phases and deviations from protocols (e.g. dose escalation) will be discussed. Finally, participants will be introduced to the RoBIAS tool for judging biases in adherence research, and the EMERGE guideline for transparent reporting. The workshop will be interactive via structured group discussions.
Speaker
Dr Bernard Vrijens
Chief Executive Officer
AARDEX Group and Liège University
Quantification of non-persistence to medication across countries, dosing frequencies, and therapeutic areas
Biography
Dr. Vrijens holds a PhD from the Department of Applied Mathematics and Informatics at Ghent University, Belgium.
He has pioneered a research program focused on a simple but robust taxonomy of common dosing errors, along with exploring optimal measurement-guided medication management that can drive adherence and maintain long-term persistence.
With over 100 peer-reviewed scientific papers and six patents to his name, Dr. Vrijens is also a founding member of the International Society for Medication Adherence (ESPACOMP) and an active member of several EU- and US-funded collaborative projects around the theme of adherence to medications.
Non Davies
Docteral student
Bangor University
Adherence screening and run-in phases for clinical trials
Biography
Non is a PhD student at The Centre for Health Economics and Medicines Evaluation (CHEME). After obtaining a BSc Biomedical Sciences degree from The University of Manchester, she undertook a KESS2-funded MScRes degree at Bangor University in collaboration with Aparito - a wholly owned subsidiary of Eli Lilly and Company, with her thesis titled ‘Digital Health Solutions for Medication Adherence Support.’ Her PhD research focuses on medication adherence during the run-in phase of clinical trials, under the supervision of Professor Dyfrig Hughes, Professor Bernard Vrijens, and Associate Professor Daniel Wright. She is funded by The Medical Research Council Trials Methodology Research Partnership Doctoral Training Program (MRC TMRP DTP).
Assoc Prof Daniel Wright
University Of Sydney
Dose escalation due to suboptimal medication adherence in a clinical trial setting: An anonymised case study
Biography
Dan Wright is an Associate Professor in Clinical Pharmacy at the University of Sydney. His research interests span clinical pharmacology, pharmacometrics, and medication adherence. He has expertise in modelling and simulation and the quantitative analysis of medication adherence data. His research platform aims to enhance the quantitative understanding of how drug treatments impact human biology and to explore the sources of variability in drug response between individuals. He uses this information to improve outcomes for patients through individualised dosing. Dan conducts research across several therapeutic areas notably cardiology, nephrology, transplant medicine and rheumatology.
A/Prof Amy Chan
The University of Auckland
Role of digital technologies in clinical trials - opportunities and considerations
Biography
Dr Amy Chan is Associate Professor and Respiratory lead of the Medicines Intelligence group at the School of Pharmacy, University of Auckland. She is a clinical pharmacist by training with over 15 years’ experience working in hospital, where she led one of the clinical pharmacy teams. Amy holds an honorary post with University College London, UK. She currently leads a research group that explores the intersection between digital technology, big data and health outcomes, with a focus on asthma care. She leads one of the working groups for the European Respiratory Society Clinical Research Collaboration CONNECT which focuses on digital respiratory healthcare, and is a global lead for workforce transformation with the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP). Amy has over 130 peer-reviewed research outputs including 15 book chapters and one co-edited book. She has received over 50 research grants and has influenced respiratory policy at a national and international level including input into WHO guidelines and civil society policies.
Dr Carole Bandiera
The University of Sydney
Adherence to protein kinase inhibitors in solid cancers: real world data
Biography
A pharmacist by training, Carole completed her PhD at the University of Geneva in 2023 in the research group of Prof Marie Paule Schneider. During her PhD, she coordinated two randomized controlled trials evaluating the impact of the pharmacist-led interprofessional medication adherence program on medication adherence in patients with chronic illnesses. In 2023, Carole was awarded a fellowship from the Swiss National Science Foundation to pursue a two-year postdoctoral project at the University of Sydney in Prof Parisa Aslani’s research group. Her current research focuses on collaborative practices between pharmacists and community health workers in Australia and New Zealand, exploring how they can synergistically work together and improve patient health outcomes.
Session chair
Carole Bandiera
The University of Sydney
Dyfrig Hughes
Bangor University
