Dr Susan Semple

I am a research fellow in the Sansom Institute with a research interest is in Australian medicinal plants. I am particularly interested in research in this area which is in partnership with Indigenous communities. Currently we are involved in collaborative research projects with indigenous communities examining the pharmacological activities of some traditional medicinal plants. This includes an ARC-Linkage project with Chuulangun Aboriginal Corporation (see http://www.kaanjungaachi.com.au/KaanjuOilsDistillationTrial.htm )

Quality Use of Medicines and Pharmacy Research Centre

• Complementary medicines
• Drug discovery from plants and other natural sources
• Chemical constituents of herbal medicines

Australian Society of Microbiology

Australasian Pharmaceutical Sciences Association

International Society for Ethnopharmacology

Society of Economic Botany

Bachelor of Pharmacy (Hons)

PhD

• Antimicrobial activity of Australian Aboriginal medicinal plants
• Collaborative research with Aboriginal communities.
• Isolation and structural determination of biologically active compounds from plants
• Complementary medicine use in the community
• Information needs of consumers of complementary and alternative medicines
• Medication safety

Semple, S.J., Reynolds, G.D., O’Leary, M.C. and Flower, R.L.P., 1998. Screening of Australian medicinal plants for antiviral activity. Journal of Ethnopharmacology 60, 163-172.

Semple, S.J., 1998. The antiviral properties of traditional Australian Aboriginal medicines. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society of Australia 22, 1-6.

Semple, S.J., Nobbs, S.F., Pyke, S.M., Reynolds, G.D. and Flower, R.L.P., 1999. Antiviral flavonoid from Pterocaulon sphacelatum, an Australian Aboriginal medicine. Journal of Ethnopharmacology 68, 283-288.

Palombo, E.A. and Semple, S.J., 2001. Antibacterial activity of traditional Australian medicinal plants. Journal of Ethnopharmacology 77, 151-157.

Semple, S.J., Pyke, S.M., Reynolds, G.D. and Flower, R.L.P., 2001. In vitro antiviral activity of the anthraquinone chyrsophanic acid against poliovirus. Antiviral Research 49, 169-178.

Palombo, E.A. and Semple, S.J., 2002. Antibacterial activity of Australian plant extracts against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE). Journal of Basic Microbiology 42, 444-448.

Szeto, P.C.Y., Semple, S.J. and Roughead, E.E., 2002. A study of complementary medicine advertising in Australia. Australian Pharmacist 21(10), 762-767.

Byrne, M.J., Semple, S.J. and Coulthard, K.P., 2002. Complementary medicine use during pregnancy. Interviews with 48 women in a hospital antenatal ward. Australian Pharmacist 21(12), 954-959.

Roughead, E.E., Semple, S.J. and Gilbert A.L., 2003. Quality Use of Medicines in Aged-Care Facilities in Australia. Drugs in Ageing 20 (9): 643-653.

Runciman, W.B., Roughead, E.E., Semple, S.J., Adams, R.J. 2003. Adverse drug events and medication errors in Australia. International Journal for Quality in Health Care 15: i49-i59.

Roughead, L. & Semple, S. 2004. ‘Building a safer system for Australian health care: essential role of clinical pharmacy services [editorial]’, Journal of Pharmacy Practice and Research 34: 88.

Roughead, E.E., Semple, S.J., Vitry, A.I. 2005 Pharmaceutical care services: a systematic review of published studies, 1990 to 2003, examining effectiveness in improving patient outcomes. International Journal of Pharmacy Practice 13:53-70.

Smith. C., Martin, K., Hotham, E., Semple, S. Bloustein, G., Rao, D. 2005. Naturopaths practice behaviour: provision and access to information on complementary and alternative medicines. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine 5:15

Semple, S., Roughead, E., 2005. Reducing medication error and harm: an important role for pharmacy in medication safety and safer systems (invited paper). Australian Pharmacist 24(11) 840-845.

Semple, S.J., Hotham, E., Rao, D., Martin, K., Smith, C.A., Bloustien, G.F. 2006. Community pharmacists in Australia: barriers to information provision on complementary and alternative medicines. Pharmacy World and Science 28:366–373

Ndi, C.P., Semple, S.J. Griesser, H.J., Barton, M.D. 2007. Antimicrobial activity of some Australian plant species from the genus Eremophila. Journal of Basic Microbiology 47(2)158-164.

Angley M, Semple S, Paterson F, Hewton C, McKinnon R, 2007. Children and autism: Part 2 - management with complementary medicines and dietary interventions, Australian Family Physician vol. 36 (10) pp. 827-830.

Ndi, C.P., Semple, S.J., Griesser, H.J., Pyke, S.M., Barton, M.D. 2007. Antimicrobial compounds from Eremophila serrulata. Phytochemistry 68:2684-2690

Ndi, C.P., Semple, S.J., Griesser, H.J., Pyke, S.M., Barton, M.D. 2007. Antimicrobial Compounds from the Australian Desert Plant Eremophila neglecta. Journal of Natural Products 70: 1439-1443.

Vitry, A.I., Phillips, S.M., Semple, S.J. 2008 Quality and availability of consumer Information on heart failure in Australia BMC Health Services Research 8:255

Griesser H., Ys H., Ndi C., Britcher L., Vasilev K., Jasieniak M., Griesser S., Semple S. 2008 Combating infections at biomedical implants and devices by antibacterial coatings. Chemistry in Australia. Nov: 5-8. 2008.

Roughead, E.E., Semple, S.J., Vitry, A. 2002. The Value of pharmacist professional services in the Community Setting: A systematic review of the literature 1990-2002. Canberra, Pharmacy Guild of Australia

Safety and Quality Council. 2002. Second National Report on Patient Safety. Improving Medication Safety. Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing, Canberra. (primarily written by Roughead E, Semple S)

Semple S. Roughead L. Measurement of the Quality Use of Medicines Component of Australia’s National Medicines Policy – Second Report on the National Indicators Australian Government Department of Health And Ageing, 2004. ISBN: 0 642 82507 6.