Wolfson Unit, Newcastle University

The Wolfson Unit of Clinical Pharmacology,operated jointly by the Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust) and Newcastle University since 1991,is responsible for a range of issues relating to medicines use and drug safety. These include monitoring and advising on prescribing and medicines use in primary and secondary care,promotion of the safe,effective and economical use of medicines,promoting the highest quality of care for people exposed to the toxic effects of drugs or chemicals,and disseminating and developing knowledge in these areas through teaching and research. It is staffed by a multi-disciplinary team comprising pharmacists,physicians,medical information scientists and support staff.Research performed in the centre encompasses drug utilisation and prescribing research,pharmacoepidemiology - especially relating to drugs in pregnancy,adverse drug reactions and poisoning,and translational research relating to ADRs and their risk factors.