Centres

The division includes three research centres:

Centre for Pharmacoepidemiology

The Centre aims to apply, develop, improve, and evaluate innovative observational pharmacoepidemiologic methods to obtain reliable information on benefits and harms of medicines after marketing in real life. Methodological innovations are inspired by relevant research questions in clinical practice, pharmaceutical policy, and regulation. Important themes are methods to measure impact of interventions, to prevent and/or control for confounding, analysis of effect modification (precision medicine), multi-database analysis, and innovative approaches for increasing validity and richness of data. The Centre for Pharmacoepidemiology has established the EU PE&PV (Pharmacoepidemiology & Pharmacovigilance) Research Network, and has developed novel methodologies for the conduct of multi-country, multi-database studies on variability of medicines’ use and patient outcomes.

Scientific director: dr. Helga Gardarsdottir
Managing director: dr. Daniala Weir

Centre for Clinical Therapeutics

The Centre is dedicated to studying the relationship between patients’ health and the use of medications. Our research and education aim to optimize the beneficial effects of pharmacotherapy while minimizing potential harm. Our work includes assessments of direct interactions between medications and patients and biomarkers thereof (clinical pharmacology), group-based approaches to understand which patients most likely benefit and why (clinical pharmacoepidemiology), and studies examining the impact of the context in which care and pharmacotherapy are provided (clinical pharmacy and pharmacy practice research). The Centre includes the Utrecht Pharmacy Panel for Education & Research (UPPER) network of pharmacies and closely collaborates with the University Medical Centre Utrecht, St. Antonius Hospital Utrecht/Nieuwegein, and SIR Institute for Pharmacy Practice and Policy (Leiden/Vleuten).

Scientific director: prof. dr. Toine Egberts
Managing director: dr. Rob Heerdink

Centre for Pharmaceutical Policy and Regulation

The Centre aims to develop, assess, and apply innovative methods in the fields of pharmaceutical policy, drug regulatory science, and health technology assessment (HTA). For this, an integrated approach to the drug life cycle and the context in which medicines are developed, assessed, and used, is taken. Important research spearheaded by the Centre includes questions on authorisation, access to, and affordability of medicines. One of the unique features of the Centre is that it works closely with experts from the Dutch Medicines Evaluation Board (MEB), the Dutch National Health Care Institute (ZIN), and the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP). Embedded in the Centre is the WHO Collaborating Centre for Pharmaceutical Policy and Regulation, which focuses on global aspects of access to medicines in pharmaceutical systems. The centre is a partner in the Regulatory Science Network Netherlands (RSNN) as well as in the Academic Research Network HTA.

See the site of Utrecht Centre for Pharmaceutical Policy and Regulation.

Scientific director: prof. dr. Marieke de Bruin
Managing director: prof. dr. Aukje Mantel-Teeuwisse