Course description
Module details
There are four compulsory course units for the Diploma:
Clinical Pharmacy Practice and Therapeutics I
Medicines Management and Practice Research
Clinical Pharmacy Practice and Therapeutics II
Health Care Management.
Students eligible to register for an MSc are required to commence this immediately after the end of the diploma. Students who are awarded a Diploma and wish to convert to an MSc at a later date will need to formally reapply for admission to the University.
The Diploma programme commences in September each year and is part-time for two years. The total credit rating for the diploma course is 120. This is derived from four different modules each of which comprises 12 full study days. All students will be required to prepare for the study days by reading the directed reading material provided prior to each session.
The total credit rating for the MSc is 180.
Course content for year 1
Clinical Pharmacy Practice and Therapeutics I (30 credits)
Includes concept of pharmaceutical care and a patient-focused approach to practice. It develops and integrates in a practice setting, a systematic approach to problem-solving. There is also emphasis on the development of communication skills relevant to practice. One element of the module comprises a wide range of tutorials covering laboratory data interpretation, the therapeutics of common disease states and clinical skills. The second element incorporates a structured period of practice in hospital settings. The skills to be developed include; completion of patient profiles, identification of drug-related problems, drug history taking, patient counselling and discharge planning.
There is one Objective Structured Clinical Exam (OSCE) lasting 2 hours (50%) and one 2-hour unseen exam (50%). A completed patient portfolio and calculation workbook is a further requirement of the module.
Medicines Management and Practice Research (30 credits)
Includes the exploration of the principles of medicines management and research methods and their application to the practice of pharmacy. The module reviews the concepts of prescribing and evidence based practice and their application to the management of medicines. Students develop a critical approach to the evaluation of medical and health services literature. Practical exercises in the use of different research methods and a review of the basic principles of statistics and research ethics enable students to formulate a research proposal.
Tutorials involve a mixture of short presentations, discussion and practical exercises. For example, students will participate in practical exercises in how to critically evaluate a published paper or design their own drug use evaluation.
There is one 1-hour short answer examination (50%) and an assignment to develop a protocol for a piece of research (50%).
Course content for year 2
Clinical Pharmacy Practice and Therapeutics II (30 credits)
Includes the development and understanding of therapeutic decision-making in different patient groups. This is done through the application of pharmacokinetics to clinical practice, the development of a knowledge base of therapeutic options in the management of specific diseases and skills in monitoring the desired outcomes and adverse effects of treatment.
Each tutorial is moderated by a clinical pharmacist with expertise in a particular therapeutic area. The subjects covered encompass those in which pharmacists can make a significant contribution to patient care. The tutorial format involves lecture material, case discussion and review of pertinent, current medical and pharmaceutical literature.
Assessment is by one 3 hour unseen examination (75%) and a written case report (25%).
Health Care Management (30 credits)
Includes the development and understanding of the economic, management, and organisational issues in health and pharmaceutical care. Students explore these aspects and determine how they impact on health and pharmaceutical service provision. Students gain a greater depth of understanding of the expanding role of health economics in decision-making.
In the first half of this module students develop skills and knowledge in the economic analysis of medicines and pharmaceutical services, and a wider awareness of the economic constraints in health care provision. In the second half of the module the students concentrate on the pharmacists' role in health care management. Students are normally given a problem or case study before each study day which will be used as the basis for workshop activity.
Students are assessed on a critical appraisal of an economic evaluation of a medicine (50%) and a written assignment on a pharmacy-related health care management topic (50%).
Course content for year 3
Research project (60 credits)
The research project is undertaken in either a community or hospital practice setting over a 12 month period. Each student is allocated a university-based supervisor who will be responsible for the academic content of the project. In addition, students have a supervisor within their practice base who is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day organisation of the research. The project incorporates a literature review, study design, data collection and data analysis and interpretation in an innovative area of pharmacy practice.
The research topic will be approved by the Programme Director in consultation with individual students and their practice supervisors. Students are expected to give a presentation of their research proposal to the Academic Pharmacy Practice Group at the University. All students submitting a research project attend an oral examination which will be conducted by the External Examiner and the Programme Director.
Career opportunities
This postgraduate qualification allows pharmacists to develop their chosen career path within the pharmacy profession by providing advanced clinical knowledge, problem-solving skills and a critical awareness of the role of pharmaceutical services within the workplace. Additionally it enables the use of creative approaches to develop career roles within primary and secondary care. Some students have gone on to undertake PhDs within the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.
