Associate Professor Joy Spark

Biography

Joy achieved a PhD (Pharmacy Practice) from LaTrobe University in 2014. Currently she teaches in the pharmacy program and has an active research program with a focus on perceptions of products and services, particularly pharmacy services including compounded progesterone products.

Joy joined UNE in 2017 from LaTrobe University where she had been involved in the establishment of the experiential placement, compounding and research project components of the pharmacy program. After she earned her Bachelor of Pharmacy and subsequently Master of Pharmacy (Medicinal Chemistry) from the Victorian College of Pharmacy in Melbourne (now part of Monash University), Joy worked in product development for Nicholas Kiwi and IDT.  Later she spent a period as the pharmacist at the Tungaru Central Hospital in Tarawa in the Republic of Kiribati as an Australian Volunteer International (AVI). Returning to Australia, Joy continued her passion for pharmacy research and education with Paramedical Software then at LaTrobe University achieving her PhD, and multiple publications in a range of pharmacy practice topics.

Teaching Areas

Pharmacy practice and compounding

Research Interests

Person centred care, including how pharmacists offer care to people and how people perceive pharmacists.  Pharmacy education including student and employer perception of courses.  Specialist compounding services offered by pharmacists and how these impact on the provision of healthcare.

Publications

Ayalew, M. B., Dieberg, G., Quirk, F., & Spark, M. J. (2020). Potentially inappropriate prescribing for adults with diabetes mellitus: a scoping review protocol. JBI Evidence Synthesis, 18(7), 1557-1565. https://doi.org/10.11124/jbisrir-d-19-00136

Tegegn, H. G., Tursan D’Espaignet, E., Wark, S., & Spark, M. J. (2020). Psychometric properties of self-reported medication adherence tools in cardiovascular disease: a systematic review protocol. JBI Evidence Synthesis, 18(7), 1546-1556. https://doi.org/10.11124/jbisrir-d-19-00117

Scott, M. W., McDonough, M., Wong, G. O., Summers, R., & Spark, M. J. (2020). Patient satisfaction with a hospital adverse drug reaction reporting system. Journal of Pharmacy Practice and Research, 50(2), 152-159. doi:10.1002/jppr.1635

Wilson, A. J., & Spark, M. J. (2020). Understanding management of poorly controlled pain in community-dwelling analgesic users: a qualitative study. International Journal of Clinical Pharmacy. doi:10.1007/s11096-020-01198-8

Byrne, G. A., Wood, P. J., & Spark, M. J. (2018). Non-prescription supply of combination analgesics containing codeine in community pharmacy: A simulated patient study. Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy, 14(1), 96–105 https://doi.org/ https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sapharm.2017.01.005

Gibbins, A. K., Wood, P. J., & Spark, M. J. (2017). Managing inappropriate use of non-prescription combination analgesics containing codeine: A modified Delphi study. Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy, 13(2), 369-377. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.sapharm.2016.02.015

Spark, M. J., Tawil, R., O'Brien, B., Sutherland-Plozza, Z., Charles, S., & John, D. N. (2017). What are the attributes of good pharmacy faculty (lecturers)? An international comparison of the views of pharmacy undergraduate students from universities in Australia and Wales, UK. Pharmacy Education, 17(1), 36 - 42. Retrieved from http://pharmacyeducation.fip.org/pharmacyeducation/article/view/490

Waldron, A. Y., Spark, M. J., & Dennis, C. M. (2016). The Use of Melatonin by Children: Parents' Perspectives. Journal of clinical sleep medicine: JCSM: official publication of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, 12(10), 1395-1401.

Spark, M. J., Malone, D. T., Maynard, G., & Stupans, I. (2016). Cases in teaching and assessment in pharmacy education: Guidelines for assigning difficulty. Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning, 8(5), 722-725. doi:10.1016/j.cptl.2016.06.007

Spark, M. J., Willis, J., Byrne, G., & Iacono, T. (2014). The multifaceted nature of access to compounded progesterone: A cross-sectional study from Australia. Maturitas, 77(2), 155-162. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.maturitas.2013.10.016

Spark, M. J., Willis, J., & Iacono, T. (2014). Compounded progesterone and the Behavioral Model of Health Services Use. Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy, 10(4), 693-699. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.sapharm.2013.08.001

Hamer, A. M., Spark, M. J., Wood, P. J., & Roberts, E. (2014). The upscheduling of combination analgesics containing codeine: the impact on the practice of pharmacists. Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy, 10(4), 669-678. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.sapharm.2013.08.004

Spark, M. J., Willis, J., & Byrne, G. (2012). Compounded progesterone: Why is it acceptable to Australian women? Maturitas, 73(4), 318-324. doi:10.1016/j.maturitas.2012.09.003

Spark, M. J., & Willis, J. (2012). Systematic review of progesterone use by midlife and menopausal women. Maturitas, 72(3), 192– 202. doi:10.1016/j.maturitas.2012.03.015

Griffiths, E. V., Willis, J., & Spark, M. J. (2012). A Systematic Review of Psychotropic Drug Prescribing for Prisoners. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 46(5), 407-421. doi:10.1177/0004867411433893

Brown, K. E., Swift, I., & Spark, M. J. (2012). Pain Severity Cut-Points and Analgesic Use by Community-Dwelling People for Chronic Pain. Journal of Pharmacy Practice and Research, 42(3), 196-199.

Fleming, C. A., & Spark, M. J. (2011). Factors influencing the selection of rural practice locations for early career pharmacists in Victoria. Australian Journal of Rural Health, 19(6), 290–297. doi:10.1111/j.1440-1584.2011.01234.x

Kemp, S. M., & Spark, M. J. (2010). Rurally focused BPharm course: perspectives of graduates. Journal of Pharmacy Practice & Research, 40(4), 275-278.

Spark, M. J., Dunn, R. A., & Houlahan, K. L. (2009). Women's perspective on progesterone: A qualitative study conducted in Australia. International Journal of Pharmaceutical Compounding, 13(4), 345-349.

Di Blasi, A., Kendall, S., & Spark, M. J. (2006). Perspectives on the role of the community pharmacist in the provision of health care to people with intellectual disabilities: exploration of the barriers and solutions. International Journal of Pharmacy Practice, 14, 263-269. doi:10.1221/ijpp.14.4.0006

Andrews, P. R., Carson, J. M., Caselli, A., Spark, M. J., & Woods, R. (1985). Conformational analysis and active site modelling of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 28(3), 393-399.

Andrews, P. R., Sadek, M., Spark, M. J., & Winkler, D. A. (1986). Conformational energy calculations and electrostatic potentials of dihydrofolate reductase ligands: Relevance to mode of binding and species specificity. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 29(5), 698-708.

Review protocols

Ayalew, M. B., Dieberg, G., Quirk, F., & Spark, M. J. (2020). Potentially inappropriate prescribing for adults with diabetes mellitus: a scoping review protocol. JBI Evidence Synthesis, 18(7), 1557-1565. doi:10.11124/jbisrir-d-19-00136

Tegegn, H. G., Tursan D’Espaignet, E., Wark, S., & Spark, M. J. (2020). Psychometric properties of self-reported medication adhere

Conference abstracts

Barwick, A., Burrows, J., & Spark, M. J. (2019). Professional identity and empathy in undergraduate pharmacy students. Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy, 15(5), e23-e24. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sapharm.2019.03.138

Pollard, K. P., & Spark, M. J. (2019). Community dwelling users' perspectives of dose administration aids: a qualitative study. Paper presented at the PSA19, Sydney.

Spark, M. J., Farrah, M., & Johnston, L. M. (2019). Post-operative prescribing of opioids at discharge from hospital. Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy, 15(5), e14-e15. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sapharm.2019.03.107

Spark, M. J., Papadopoulos, G., & Jahfar, A. A. (2019). Drug use evaluation of intravenous metronidazole. Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy, 15(5), e20. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sapharm.2019.03.126

Memberships

AHPRA Registered pharmacist, member of the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA), and the Australasian Pharmaceutical Science Association (APSA).