1. Current Status, Position

Currently a Lecturer in Clinical Pharmacy, Dr. Tonna (BPharm (Hons), MSc, PhD) is involved in teaching both undergraduate and postgraduate pharmacy students.

2. Education

Dr. Tonna graduated with a BPharm (Hons) from the University of Malta in 1994. She completed an MSc in Clinical Pharmacy at Robert Gordon University and graduated in 2001. She completed a PhD at Robert Gordon University following thesis submission in July 2011. Dr. Tonna was previously a hospital pharmacist in Malta for around 10 years and was instrumental in setting up numerous services mainly the ward based clinical pharmacy service in 2002. She moved to the UK and was involved in primary care research in Edinburgh and then worked as a surgical pharmacist in Oxford. She has been in the current academic post since 2010.

3. Research Area

Dr. Tonna is mainly interested in antimicrobials and strategies that may be employed by the pharmacist to help optimise antimicrobial use. She has conducted exploratory research around pharmacist prescribing in secondary care in hospitals in Scotland and has a special interest in use of qualitative methods as a way of exploring individual’s views and perceptions in areas where there is limited evidence. This also involves an exploration of behaviors underpinned by theories such as the Theoretical Domains Framework. She also has an interest in exploring patient and carer involvement in curriculum delivery for undergraduate pharmacy students.

4. Conflict of interest: none