Roland van Rensburg

Employment

Registrar: Clinical Pharmacology April 2018 – March 2022

Division of Clinical Pharmacology – Stellenbosch University & Tygerberg Hospital

Private general practitioner October 2016 – March 2018

Own practice – Centurion, Gauteng

Private general practitioner February 2016 – September 2016

Medicare24 Group – Johannesburg, Gauteng

Community Service January 2015 – December 2015

Kalafong Tertiary Hospital – Gauteng Province – Department of Family Medicine & Emergency Medicine

Internship January 2013 – December 2014

Prince Mshiyeni Memorial Hospital – KwaZulu Natal Province

Qualifications

Fellow of the College of Clinical Pharmacologists (FC Clin Pharm) – with distinction 2021

Colleges of Medicine of South Africa

Diploma in HIV Management (Dip HIV Man (SA)) 2017

Colleges of Medicine of South Africa

Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MBChB) – with distinction 2007– 2012

University of Pretoria

Teaching

Lecturer – Clinical Pharmacology & Pain management April 2018 – Current

Stellenbosch University – Division of Clinical Pharmacology

Modules:

Pain management & Clinical pharmacology for MBChB V
Clinical pharmacology interactive tutorial for MBChB III, IV, VI
Diabetes & hypertension pharmacology for MBChB II
Diabetes pharmacology for MBChB I
Principles of Clinical Pharmacology for MBChB I

Lecturer – Pharmacology February 2016 – March 2018

University of Pretoria – Department of Pharmacology

Modules:

Principles of pharmacotherapy for MBChB V
Autonomic pharmacology and Principles of pharmacology for 3rd year students in Pharmacology (Honours), Medical Sciences, Biochemistry, Nursing, Physiotherapy, Dietetics, Human Physiology & Genetics

Research

Randomised controlled trails

Title: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicentre study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of tocilizumab in hospitalized patients with Covid-19 pneumonia (EMPACTA). 2020.
Role: Co-investigator & local site operations manager
Title: An adaptive randomized platform trial to investigate the efficacy of novel agents for treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection among high-risk outpatient adults (TOGETHER 3). 2020.
Role: Study design & co-investigator

Observational studies

Title: The pharmacogenetics of the late-onset efavirenz neurotoxicity syndrome (LENS). 2019 – 2021.
Role: Principal investigator (manuscript in peer review)
Title: Hospitalised Covid-19 patients treated with low molecular weight heparin and antiplatelet therapy: increased thrombosis but no increase in bleeding risk. 2021.
Role: Co-principal investigator (manuscript in peer review)
Title: Screening for adult ADHD in patients with fibromyalgia syndrome. 2015 – 2016.
Role: Principal investigator

Publications

Van Rensburg R, Decloedt EH, Reuter H, Parker A, Schrueder N, Lahri S. Ivermectin for Covid-19: Promising but not yet conclusive. SAMJ. 2021;111(3):188. doi.org/10.7196/SAMJ.2021.v111i3.15522
Pillay-Fuentes Lorente V, van Rensburg R, Cloete DA, Lahri S, Decloedt EH. Vasopressor therapy in atypical antipsychotic overdose. SAMJ. 2020 Sep 30;110(10):1003-1005.
Corbett C, Pillay-Fuentes Lorente V, Muller GJ, van Rensburg R. Boomslang (Dispholidus typus) envenomation in a patient on warfarin therapy. SAMJ. 2020 Sep 30;110(10):999-1002.
Van Rensburg R, Pillay-Fuentes Lorente V, Decloedt EH. Current evidence for directed and supportive investigational therapies against COVID-19. Afr J Thoracic Crit Care Med. 2020;26(2). doi.org/10.7196/AJTCCM.2020.v26i2.072
Van Rensburg R, Pillay-Fuentes Lorente V, Blockman M, Moodley K, Wilmshurst JM, Decloedt EH. Medical cannabis: What practitioners need to know. SAMJ. 2020 Mar 1;110(3):192-6.
Van Rensburg R, Reuter H. An overview of analgesics: anticonvulsants, antidepressants, and other medications (Part 3). S Afr Fam Pract. 2019 May;61(3):59-62.
Van Rensburg R, Reuter H. An overview of analgesics: opioids, tramadol, and tapentadol (Part 2). S Afr Fam Pract. 2019 Mar;61(2):16-23.
Van Rensburg R, Reuter H. An overview of analgesics: NSAIDs, paracetamol, and topical analgesics (Part 1). S Afr Fam Pract. 2019 May;61(sup1):S4-10. https://doi.org/10.1080/20786190.2019.1610228
Van Rensburg R, Decloedt EH. An approach to the pharmacotherapy of neuroleptic malignant syndrome. Psychopharmacol Bull. 2019 Feb;49(1):84-91.
Van Rensburg R, Meyer HP, Hitchcock SA, Schuler CE. Screening for adult ADHD in patients with fibromyalgia syndrome. Pain Medicine. 2017 Nov 1;19(9):1825-1831. https://doi.org/10.1093/pm/pnx275
Van Rensburg R. Analgesia for acute pain. S Afr Fam Pract. 2016; 58(1): 11-15. http://www.safpj.co.za/index.php/safpj/article/view/4435/5244

Clinical Service

Clinical Pharmacology

Provide a clinical service to Tygerberg Hospital and referral areas through:

Therapeutics consultations, incorporating rational treatment selection, polypharmacy with potentially multiple drug-drug interactions, dosing in special populations, and adverse drug reaction assessment and management, including toxicology-related consultations.
Direct patient contact, through bedside consults and clinical attachments with other disciplines in a multidisciplinary structure in the hospital.
Therapeutic drug monitoring, providing patient-centred interpretation of drug concentrations to requesting clinicians, and using Bayesian prediction models to recommend accurate dose adjustments (e.g. for vancomycin).
Tygerberg Hospital Pharmaceutical and Therapeutics Committee (PTC), assessing all named-patient requests for off-code or Section 21 drugs, as well as any therapeutics queries.
Rational dosing guidelines, by leading and developing treatment and dosing recommendations for various drugs in Tygerberg Hospital (also available on EMGuidance), e.g. colistin.

Poisons Information Helpline

Provide support for a 24-hour helpline servicing all provinces in South Africa with advice on poisoning exposure management. Day-time and after-hours support to healthcare workers and the public are provided, with an average total of 1250 calls per month.

Tygerberg Pain Clinic

Specialist-level, multidisciplinary team service for patients with various chronic pain conditions. Patients are discussed in multidisciplinary team meetings to provide best-practice, evidence-based holistic management.

Health Management and Leadership

Tygerberg Pain Clinic 2019 – Current

Administrative and clinical management duties relating to conduct and coordination of the clinic, patient care, referrals, peer and student teaching, and chairing the weekly multidisciplinary team meeting.

University of Pretoria 2007 – 2012