Professor Richard Bourne

MSc, MRes, PhD, FFRPS, FRPharmS

School of Allied Health, Pharmacy, Nursing and Midwifery

Honorary Professor of Critical Care Pharmacy

r.bourne@sheffield.ac.uk

Profile

Professor Richard Bourne is a clinical-academic pharmacist specialising in critical care for more than 25 years. He has been a NHS Consultant Pharmacist in critical care since 2009. Richard is currently a NIHR Senior Clinical and Practitioner Researcher and previously completed a HEE/NIHR Integrated Clinical Academic Clinical Lectureship.

Richard has represented pharmacy on several national and international critical care groups. For six years he was the pharmacy lead to the NHS England Adult Critical Care Clinical Reference Group and was the Consultant Pharmacist on the NIHR Critical Care National Specialty Group. He is deputy chair of the Pharmacy Sub-Committee of the Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine (FICM). Richard is also a member of the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine (ESICM) Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy Section where he is also a member of the ESICM Patient Safety Training and Research Taskforce. He joined the editorial board of CHEST Critical Care in 2025.

Research interests: Richard’s research focus is medicines optimisation (safety and quality of medicines use) in the critically ill patient. He has supervised several Masters-level and PhD-level students in areas related to medicines use during and after critical care. He provides mentorship to pharmacists that are developing clinical-academic careers.

Publications

Journal articles

Flaws D, Stewart JD, Haines KJ, Fraser JF, McAuley DF, Patterson SE, Hodgson CL, Andersen SK, Bagshaw SM, Bourne RS , Connolly B et al (2025) Greater recovery after critical illness (GRACE): a call to action to create a new roadmap for critical illness research.. Thorax.
Andonovic M, Shaw M, Hartley P, Jain S, Boehm L, Toth K, Bourne R, Haines KJ, Danesh V, MacTavish P , Valley T et al (2025) Current strategies and future directions to enhance recovery following critical illness. Thorax. View this article in WRRO
Bourne RS, Alberto L, Brummel NE, de Groot B, De Lange DW, Elbers P, Emmelot-Vonk MH, Flaatten H, Freund Y, Galazzi A , Garcia-Martinez A et al (2025) Understanding barriers and facilitators to implementation of consensus-based recommendations for the management of very old people in intensive care.. Age Ageing, 54(9). View this article in WRRO
Puxty K, van Mol M, Martin Delgado MC, Darmon M, Ferrer R, Galazzi A, Kondi E, Russell L, Sancho E, Ostermann M , Azoulay E et al (2025) Correction: Understanding and mitigating medication errors associated with patient harm in adult intensive care units: a scoping review. Intensive Care Medicine, 51(7), 1414-1414.
Beil M, Alberto L, Bourne RS, Brummel NE, de Groot B, de Lange DW, Elbers P, Emmelot-Vonk M, Flaatten H, Freund Y , Galazzi A et al (2025) Correction: ESICM consensus-based recommendations for the management of very old patients in intensive care. Intensive Care Medicine, 51(7), 1412-1413.
Puxty K, van Mol M, Martin Delgado MC, Darmon M, Ferrer R, Galazzi A, Kondi E, Russell L, Sancho E, Ostermann M , Azoulay E et al (2025) Understanding and mitigating medication errors associated with patient harm in adult intensive care units: a scoping review. Intensive Care Medicine, 51(6), 1098-1111.
Beil M, Alberto L, Bourne RS, Brummel NE, de Groot B, de Lange DW, Elbers P, Emmelot-Vonk M, Flaatten H, Freund Y , Galazzi A et al (2025) ESICM consensus-based recommendations for the management of very old patients in intensive care. Intensive Care Medicine, 51(2), 287-301. View this article in WRRO
Mansi ET, Rentsch CT, Bourne RS, Jeffery A, Guthrie B & Lone NI (2025) Benzodiazepine and z-drug prescribing in critical care survivors and the risk of rehospitalisation or death due to falls/trauma and due to any cause: a retrospective matched cohort study using the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink. Intensive Care Medicine, 51(1), 125-136.
Mansi ET, Rentsch CT, Bourne RS, Guthrie B & Lone NI (2024) Patient Characteristics and Practice Variation Associated With New Community Prescription of Benzodiazepine and z‐Drug Hypnotics After Critical Illness: A Retrospective Cohort Study Using the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink. Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety, 33(12).
Bourne RS, Jeffries M, Jennings JK, Ashcroft DM & Norman P (2024) Improving medication safety for intensive care patients transitioning to a hospital ward: development of a theory-informed intervention package. BMC Health Services Research, 24. View this article in WRRO
Bourne RS, Jeffries M, Meakin E, Norville R & Ashcroft DM (2024) Qualitative Insights Into Patients' and Family Members’ Experiences of In-Hospital Medication Management After a Critical Care Episode. CHEST Critical Care, 2(2), 100072-100072.
Bourne RS, Herridge MS & Burry LD (2024) Less inappropriate medication: first steps in medication optimization to improve post-intensive care patient recovery. Intensive Care Medicine, 50(6), 982-985.
Kanodia C, Bourne RS, Mansi ET & Lone NI (2024) Association between critical care admission and chronic medication discontinuation post-hospital discharge: A retrospective cohort study. Journal of the Intensive Care Society, 25(3), 255-265.
Mansi ET, Rentsch CT, Bourne RS, Guthrie B & Lone NI (2024) Psychotropic prescribing after hospital discharge in survivors of critical illness, a retrospective cohort study (2012–2019). Journal of the Intensive Care Society, 25(2), 171-180. View this article in WRRO
Nixon C, McKenzie C & Bourne RS (2024) Reducing medication errors in adult intensive care: Current insights for nursing practice. Intensive and Critical Care Nursing, 81, 103578-103578.
Crosby A, Jennings JK, Mills AT, Silcock J & Bourne RS (2023) Economic evaluations of adult critical care pharmacy services: a scoping review. International Journal of Pharmacy Practice, 31(6), 574-584.
Bourne RS, Jeffries M, Phipps DL, Jennings JK, Boxall E, Wilson F, March H & Ashcroft DM (2023) Understanding medication safety involving patient transfer from intensive care to hospital ward: a qualitative sociotechnical factor study. BMJ Open, 13(5), e066757-e066757.
Jennings JK, McKenzie C, Gondongwe XD & Bourne RS (2023) Critical care pharmacist research activity, experience and interests: a 2021 United Kingdom survey. International Journal of Pharmacy Practice, 31(3), 321-327.
Bourne RS, Ioannides CP, Gillies CS, Bull KM, Turton ECO & Bryden DC (2023) Clinical frailty and polypharmacy in older emergency critical care patients: a single-centre retrospective case series. European Journal of Hospital Pharmacy, 30(3), 136-141.
Bourne RS, Phipps DL, Jennings JK, Boxall E, Wilson F, March H & Ashcroft DM (2022) Medication safety for intensive care patients transferring to a hospital ward: A Hierarchical Task Analysis. Human Factors in Healthcare, 2, 100030-100030.
Bourne RS, Jennings JK & Ashcroft DM (2022) A Delphi consensus study to identify priorities for improving and measuring medication safety for intensive care patients on transfer to a hospital ward. International Journal for Quality in Health Care, 34(4).
Bourne RS, Jennings JK, Panagioti M, Hodkinson A, Sutton A & Ashcroft DM (2022) Medication-related interventions to improve medication safety and patient outcomes on transition from adult intensive care settings : a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ Quality & Safety, 31(8).
Boxell EG, Malik Y, Wong J, Lee MH, Berntsson HM, Lee MJ, Bourne RS, McCullagh IJ, Hind D & Wilson MJ (2021) Are treatment effects consistent with hypothesized mechanisms of action proposed for postoperative delirium interventions? Reanalysis of systematic reviews. Journal of Comparative Effectiveness Research, 10(17), 1301-1315. View this article in WRRO
Arabi YM, Gordon AC, Derde LPG, Nichol AD, Murthy S, Beidh FA, Annane D, Swaidan LA, Beane A, Beasley R , Berry LR et al (2021) Lopinavir-ritonavir and hydroxychloroquine for critically ill patients with COVID-19: REMAP-CAP randomized controlled trial. Intensive Care Medicine, 47(8), 867-886.
Roger C, Louart B, Elotmani L, Barton G, Escobar L, Koulenti D, Lipman J, Leone M, Muller L, Boutin C , Amour J et al (2021) An international survey on aminoglycoside practices in critically ill patients: the AMINO III study. Annals of Intensive Care, 11(1).
Bourne RS, Shulman R & Jennings JK (2018) Reducing medication errors in critical care patients: pharmacist key resources and relationship with medicines optimisation. International Journal of Pharmacy Practice, 26(6), 534-540.
Borthwick M, Barton G, Bourne RS & McKenzie C (2017) Critical care pharmacy workforce: UK deployment and characteristics in 2015.. Int J Pharm Pract.
Cross VJ, Parker JT, LawMin M-CYL & Bourne RS (2017) Pharmacist prescribing in critical care: an evaluation of the introduction of pharmacist prescribing in a single large UK teaching hospital. European Journal of Hospital Pharmacy.
Seneviratne R, Bradbury H & Bourne R (2017) How Do Pharmacists Develop into Advanced Level Practitioners? Learning from the Experiences of Critical Care Pharmacists. Pharmacy, 5(3). View this article in WRRO
Bourne RS, Shulman R, Tomlin M, Borthwick M, Berry W & Mills GH (2017) Reliability of clinical impact grading by healthcare professionals of common prescribing error and optimisation cases in critical care patients. International Journal for Quality in Health Care, 29(1), 250-255.
Rudall N, McKenzie C, Landa J, Bourne RS, Bates I & Shulman R (2016) PROTECTED-UK - Clinical pharmacist interventions in the UK critical care unit: exploration of relationship between intervention, service characteristics and experience level. International Journal of Pharmacy Practice.
Bourne RS, Baqir W & Onatade R (2016) Pharmacist independent prescribing in secondary care: opportunities and challenges. International Journal of Clinical Pharmacy, 38(1), 1-6.
Bourne RS, Whiting P, Brown LS & Borthwick M (2016) Pharmacist independent prescribing in critical care: results of a national questionnaire to establish the 2014 UK position. International Journal of Pharmacy Practice, 24(2), 104-113.
Shulman R, McKenzie CA, Landa J, Bourne RS, Jones A, Borthwick M, Tomlin M, Jani YH, West D & Bates I (2015) Pharmacist’s review and outcomes: Treatment-enhancing contributions tallied, evaluated, and documented (PROTECTED-UK). Journal of Critical Care, 30(4), 808-813.
Bourne RS, Choo CL & Dorward BJ (2014) Proactive clinical pharmacist interventions in critical care: effect of unit speciality and other factors. International Journal of Pharmacy Practice, 22(2), 146-154.
Mills GH & Bourne RS (2012) Do earplugs stop noise from driving critical care patients into delirium?. Critical Care, 16(4). View this article in WRRO
Bourne RS & Choo CL (2012) Pharmacist proactive medication recommendations using electronic documentation in a UK general critical care unit. International Journal of Clinical Pharmacy, 34(2), 351-357.
Bourne RS & Dorward BJ (2011) Clinical pharmacist interventions on a UK neurosurgical critical care unit: a 2-week service evaluation. International Journal of Clinical Pharmacy, 33(5), 755-758.
Bourne RS (2011) DELIRIUM DETECTION AND MANAGEMENT IN CRITICAL CARE PATIENS: 2 YEARS EXPERIENCE IN A UK CRITICAL CARE UNIT. INTENSIVE CARE MEDICINE, 37, S181-S181.
Bourne RS, Tahir TA, Borthwick M & Sampson EL (2008) Drug treatment of delirium: Past, present and future. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 65(3), 273-282.
Bourne RS (2008) Delirium and use of sedation agents in intensive care. Nursing in Critical Care, 13(4), 195-202.
Bourne R (2008) Pharmacokinetics of oral melatonin in patients recovering from critical illness. Critical Care, 12(Suppl 2), P511-P511.
Bourne RS, Minelli C, Mills GH & Kandler R (2007) Clinical review: Sleep measurement in critical care patients: research and clinical implications. Critical Care, 11(4), 226-226.
Bourne RS & Borthwick M (2007) Guidelines on the Detection, Prevention and Treatment of Delirium. Journal of the Intensive Care Society, 8(1), 76-78.
Bourne R (2007) Assessment of melatonin, cortisol and rest–activity rhythms in critically ill patients weaning from mechanical ventilation. Critical Care, 11(Suppl 2), P175-P175.
Bourne RS & Mills GH (2006) Melatonin: possible implications for the postoperative and critically ill patient. Intensive Care Medicine, 32(3), 371-379.
Negrini D, Sheppard L, Mills GH, Jacobs P, Rapoport J, Bourne RS, Guidet B, Csomos A, Prien T, Anderson G & Edbrooke DL (2006) International Programme for Resource Use in Critical Care (IPOC) – a methodology and initial results of cost and provision in four European countries. Acta Anaesthesiologica Scandinavica, 50(1), 72-79.
Bourne RS (2005) Critical care pharmacists' wide pharmaceutical expertise is invaluable in the acute care setting. Pharmacy in Practice, 15(7), 272-274.
Bourne RS, McLaughlin JP & Simpson CC (2005) Benefits on patients' sleep patterns can be studied using a stable oral liquid melatonin formulation. Pharmacy in Practice, 15(6), 246-249.
Bourne RS & Mills GH (2004) Sleep disruption in critically ill patients – pharmacological considerations. Anaesthesia, 59(4), 374-384.
Edbrooke DL & Bourne RS (2003) . Critical Care, 7(6), 420-420.
Bourne RS, Webber SJ & Hutchinson SP (2003) Adrenal axis testing and corticosteroid replacement therapy in septic shock patients – local and national perspectives*. Anaesthesia, 58(6), 591-596.
Borthwick M, Barton G, Boxall E, Dade JP, Farrell O, Forrest R, Graham-Clarke E, Kean D, Leigh H, Mehta R , Mulherron G et al () Stress ulcer prophylaxis practice in UK critical care units: A comparison of cross-sectional surveys between 2020 and 2024. Journal of the Intensive Care Society.
Borthwick M, Barton G, Ioannides CP, Forrest R, Graham-Clarke E, Hanks F, James C, Kean D, Sapsford D, Timmins A , Tomlin M et al () Critical care pharmacy workforce: a 2020 re-evaluation of the UK deployment and characteristics. Human Resources for Health, 21(1).
Warin R, Bourne R, Borthwick M, Barton G & Bates I () Advanced Level Practice Education: UK Critical Care Pharmacists’ Opinions in 2015. Pharmacy, 4(1), 6-6.
Min MCL, Bourne RS, Burd S & Stone M () Evaluation of the effect of guidelines to reduce intravenous potassium infusions in ICU patients. Critical Care, 19(S1).
Jennings J & Bourne R () Implementation of the Behavioural Pain Scale in sedated mechanically ventilated patients in a UK ICU. Critical Care, 18(S1).
Bourne RS, Mills GH & Minelli C () Melatonin therapy to improve nocturnal sleep in critically ill patients: encouraging results from a small randomised controlled trial. Critical Care, 12(2).

Book chapters

Bourne R (2017) Delirium in the Intensive Care Unit, CASE STUDIES IN ADULT INTENSIVE CARE MEDICINE (pp. 296-302).
Bourne R & Borthwick M (2008) Agitation and confusion In Waldmann C, Soni N & Rhodes A (Ed.), Oxford Desk Reference: Critical Care Oxford University Press

Conference proceedings

Mansi E, Rentsch CT, Bourne RS, Guthrie B & Lone N (2023) Initiation of psychotropic medications after hospital discharge in survivors of critical illness, a retrospective cohort study (2012-2019). PHARMACOEPIDEMIOLOGY AND DRUG SAFETY, Vol. 32 (pp 249-249)
Landa J, Mckenzie C, Jones A, Bourne RS, Tomlin M, Bates I & Shulman R (2014) PHARMACISTS INTERVENTIONS IN THE INTENSIVE CARE UNIT. INTENSIVE CARE MEDICINE, Vol. 40 (pp S252-S252)
Brown LS, Bourne RS, Kitchen S, VanVeen J & Byrne S (2010) A SERVICE EVALUATION OF VENOUS THROMBOEMBOLISM PROPHYLAXIS WITH LOW MOLECULAR WEIGHT HEPARIN (LMWH) IN INTENSIVE CARE PATIENTS RECEIVING CONTINUOUS RENAL REPLACEMENT THERAPY. INTENSIVE CARE MEDICINE, Vol. 36 (pp S293-S293)
Trzepacz PT, Bourne R & Zhang S (2008) Designing clinical trials for the treatment of delirium. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, Vol. 65(3) (pp 299-307)
Webber SJ, Bourne RS & Hutchinson SP (2003) Survey of steroid therapy in sepsis amongst intensive care units within the UK. BRITISH JOURNAL OF ANAESTHESIA, Vol. 90(4) (pp 570P-570P)
Bourne RS & Hutchinson SP (2002) Prediction of corticosteroid response in septic shock patients using the 1 mcg tetracosactide test. INTENSIVE CARE MEDICINE, Vol. 28 (pp S76-S76)

Datasets

Bourne R Evaluation of melatonin therapy on sleep and delirium in intensive care patients.

School of Allied Health Professions, Pharmacy, Nursing and Midwifery