Dr Samira Osman DPharm, MPharmS, PgClinDip, IP, AFHEA

Dr Samira Osman

School of Pharmacy
Assistant Professor in Clinical Pharmacy

Contact details

Address
Robert Aitken Institute for Clinical Research
College of Medicine and Health
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT

Qualifications

  • DPharm, University of Birmingham (2024)
  • PgDip in Clinical Pharmacy, De Montfort University (2017)
  • MPharm, De Montfort University (2013)
  • Independent Prescribing Certificate, De Montfort University (2019) – Specialism in Type 2 Diabetes & Minor Ailments
  • Certificate in Minor Illness, APCG (2019)
  • Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (2024)
  • Certificate of Higher Education, University of Bradford (2007)

Biography

Dr Samira Osman is an academic pharmacist, educator, and researcher specialising in clinical pharmacy, health literacy, and self-care education. She joined the University of Birmingham as a Teaching Fellow in 2024 and was appointed Assistant Professor in 2025. She co-leads the Year 2 Pharmacy Practice module and teaches across all years of the MPharm, contributing to applied practice, prescribing, clinical skills, and communication training. She also supports undergraduate research projects, personal tutoring, and sits on the School of Pharmacy’s Research Ethics Committee.

Her doctoral research examined how self-care and minor ailment education is delivered in primary schools in England and explored the potential role for pharmacists in strengthening children’s health literacy. This work included ethnographic studies, stakeholder interviews, and policy analysis, resulting in a series of peer-reviewed publications that highlighted gaps, inconsistencies, and opportunities in school-based health education.

Her current research extends this agenda, focusing on the co-design and evaluation of digital health education tools for children, parents, and teachers. She is particularly interested in how pharmacists can contribute to education and health promotion in schools, community pharmacies, and family settings. She collaborates internationally through EUniWell-funded projects on women’s health (iHERA) and digital health education, and she has presented her work at major conferences including FIP, ESCP and the Clinical Pharmacy Congress.

Alongside academia, Dr Osman maintains a strong clinical profile as a prescribing pharmacist. Since 2019 she has managed diabetes and minor illness clinics in Birmingham and Wolverhampton, supporting long-term condition management, medicines optimisation, and safe prescribing. She has also held leadership roles in community pharmacy and hospital settings, managing large teams and implementing service innovations.

Her public engagement and professional service include directing the Healthy Ramadan initiative for the British Islamic Medical Association, executive committee membership of BIMA, and contributions to SCRIPT eLearning on prescribing during Ramadan. She has won multiple awards for research, teaching, and leadership, including the People’s Choice Award (2023), Collaborative Research Award (2025), and College Flash Talk Award (2025).

Teaching

  • Co-Lead Applied Pharmacy Practice (Year 2), MPharm
  • Research Methods (Year 3)
  • Teaching Applied Pharmacy Practice (Years 1–4), MPharm
  • Health Sciences (Year 1 and 2), MPharm
  • Clinical communication and prescribing skills, PG Independent prescribing
  • Supervisor for undergraduate research projects
  • Personal tutor across the MPharm programme

Postgraduate supervision

Supervision available in:

  • Self-care education and health literacy
  • Pharmacy practice and prescribing
  • Digital health interventions in education and pharmacy

Current supervision includes systematic reviews and qualitative projects on pharmacists’ roles in health literacy.

Research

Research interests

  • Pharmacy practice and prescribing in community and primary care
  • Self-care education and health literacy in children, families, and schools
  • Digital health education and co-designed interventions
  • Pharmacists’ roles in health promotion and reducing inequalities

 Current projects      

  • Co-design and evaluation of a digital self-care education platform for children, parents, and teachers
  • EUniWell-funded iHERA project on health education and awareness of PMS and PMDD
  • Systematic reviews on digital health education tools for children and pharmacists’ roles in health literacy
European collaboration on social media influence on young adults’ dietary behaviours

Other activities

  • Member, School of Pharmacy Research Ethics Committee
  • Member, European Society of Clinical Pharmacy
  • National Director, Healthy Ramadan initiative, British Islamic Medical Association (2017–present)
  • Executive Committee Member, British Islamic Medical Association
  • Public engagement leader – lifesaving skills teaching in 100+ UK mosques
  • SCRIPT UK module development for NHS prescribers (fasting and medicines safety)
  • Former clinical and managerial pharmacy posts (Boots, Heartlands Hospital, GP practice)

Publications

  • Osman S, Paudyal V, Jalal Z, Hirsch C. Perspectives of pharmacy staff on provision of self-care and minor ailment education in primary schools: a qualitative study. International Journal of Clinical Pharmacy. 2024.
  • Osman S, Hirsch C, Jalal Z, Paudyal V. Self-care education in primary schools and related settings in England: an ethnographic study. Health Education Journal. 2024.
  • Osman S, Hirsch C, Jalal Z, Paudyal V. Collaborative approaches to health education: perspectives of parents and teachers on self-care and managing common health issues in UK primary schools. BMC Health Services Research. 2025.
  • Suen K, Osman S, Shresta S, Paudyal V. Association between patient ethnicity, health literacy, socioeconomic status, and incidence of medication errors: a systematic review. Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities. 2025.

View all publications in research portal