Dr. Judith Coombes is an Adjunct Senior Lecturer in the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Queensland. She holds a Bachelor of Pharmacy, a Postgraduate Diploma in Education, a Graduate Certificate in Higher Education, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacy Practice from the University of Queensland, with her doctoral thesis titled 'A conversation about medications after a stroke.' Additionally, she earned a Master of Science in Clinical Pharmacy from the University of Brighton in the United Kingdom. Coombes began her academic career at the University of Queensland in 1996 as a Conjoint Lecturer, a position she held until 2024, when she transitioned to her current adjunct senior lecturer role. Parallel to her university appointments, she served as Advanced Pharmacist for Education at Princess Alexandra Hospital from 1996 to 2024, where she contributed to pharmacy education, practitioner development, and clinical services.

Coombes' research focuses on quality use of medicines (QUM), patients' medication-taking behaviours, and practitioner development. She has played a pivotal role in advancing clinical pharmacy services internationally, notably in Sri Lanka through train-the-trainer programs and intervention studies. Key publications include 'Ward-based clinical pharmacists and hospital readmission: a nonrandomized controlled trial in Sri Lanka' (Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 2018), which demonstrated reduced readmissions via pharmacist involvement; 'Impact of clinical pharmacy services on medication adherence and quality of life in pre-dialysis patients with CKDu: a randomized controlled trial from Sri Lanka' (BMC Nephrology, 2025); 'Train-the-trainer programme building clinical pharmacy workforce capacity in Sri Lanka: Design and evaluation' (Pharmacy Education, 2025); 'Using a structured, patient-centred, educational exchange to facilitate a shared conversation about stroke prevention medications' (Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice, 2019); and 'Unfractionated heparin dosing in obese patients' (International Journal of Clinical Pharmacy, 2020). Her scholarly output encompasses 54 works from 1999 to 2025, including 28 journal articles, 3 books, and 22 conference publications. Coombes received funding from the National Prescribing Service Limited for multicentre drug use evaluations and quality use of medicines activities in hospitals between 2005 and 2011, enhancing her impact on medication safety and health services research.

Professional Email: Judith@pharmacy.uq.edu.au