MSc Clinical Pharmacy / Course details

Online Option:

• 15 hours:
• 2 x1 hour tutorial with academic adviser using a nominated online communication tool, e.g. Skype®.
• 4 hours webinars
• 8 hours participation in online wiki tasks
• 1 hour peer assessment

Blended Option:

• 17 hours:
• 2x1-hour progress meetings with workplace tutor (instead of academic adviser)
• 4 hours webinars
• 1 hour practice-based assessments and visits (observation in practice)
• 1 hour management case-based discussion
• 8 hours participation in online wiki tasks
• 1 hour peer assessment

CPD Option:

• 15 hours:
• 2x1 hour tutorial with educational supervisor using a nominated online communication tool, e.g. Skype®.
• 4 hours webinars
• 8 hours participation in online wiki tasks
• 1 hour peer assessment

All other hours are self-directed, private study to work through the directed reading and application exercises, plus complete the coursework.

Demonstrate the ability to understand the principles governing patient care in the NHS in the context of policy and governance

• [2.2,4.1,4.2,4.3]
• [1.1,1.2,3.1,3.2,3,3,4.1,4.8,4.9]

Understand and critically analyse the underpinning professional, ethical and legal aspects of medicines management

• [1.2,1.3,1.4,1.8,1.9,3.1,3.2,3.6,4.1,4.2,4.3,4.4,4.5]
• [1.1,1.3,3.1,3.2,3.3,3.5,4.1,4.2,4.4,4.8,4.9]

Demonstrate the ability to define what constitutes a risk to patient safety

• [1.5,1.8,3.3,4.1]
• [1.1,1.3,3.2,4.3,4.4]

Understand local and national reporting mechanisms for patient safety issues

• [4.1,4.2,4.3]
• [3.2,4.4,4.9]

Understand the principles of clinical audit

• [2.2,3.1,3.3,3.5,3.6,4.1]
• [3.1,3.2,6.1,6.4,6.5]

Develop a comprehensive understanding of the responsibility of an independent prescriber, be aware of their own limitations and work within their professional competence

• [1.2,1.3,1.4,1.5,1.7,1.8.1.9,2.1,3.4,3.5,4.1,4.2]
• [1.2,1.4,3.1,3.2,3.5,4.1,4.2,4.3,4.8,4.9,5.4]

Demonstrate an in-depth understanding of the legal, ethical and professional framework for accountability and responsibility in relation to prescribing, dispensing, administration and management of medicines

• [2.1,2.2,4.1]
• [3.1,3.2,3.3,3.4,3.5,4.1,4.4]

Demonstrate an understanding of the Caldicott guidelines and define the principles of patient confidentiality and data security

• [1.1,2.1,4.1,4.2]
• [1.2,2.2,3.2,4.3]

Demonstrate an understanding of the legal and professional responsibilities of prescribing unlicensed medicines

• [1.2,1.3,1.4,1.5,1.7,1.8.1.9,2.1,3.4,3.5,4.1,4.2]
• [1.2,1.4,3.1,3.2,3.5,4.1,4.2,4.3,4.8,4.9,5.4]

Demonstrate a critical understanding of the impact of prescribing practice on public health priorities

• [1.8,4.2]
• [3.1,4.1] 

Critically appraise the impact on prescribing of the local health economy, primary and secondary  care guidelines and health improvement priorities

• [1.8,4.2]
• [3.1,4.1]

Critically review the framework for prescribing budgets and evaluate the criteria required for cost effective prescribing

• [1.4,1.8,1.9.3.3,3.6,4.4,4.5]
• [3.1,3.2,3.3,3.5,4.1,4.2,4.8,6.1]

*Bracketed codes denote mapping against the RPS Foundation Practice Framework and the RPS Advanced Practice Framework respectively.

Demonstrate an understanding of managing medicines access through formularies, interface prescribing, RAG lists etc, and how decisions are made with regards to medicines access

• [1.3,1.4,1.8,1.9.3.3,3.6,4.1,4.2,4.3,4.4,4.5]
• [1.1,1.2,3.1,3.2,3.3,3.5,4.1,4.2,4.8,6.1]

Discuss how prescribing guidelines are developed and cascaded with critical thought to the impact on practice

• [1.3,1.4,1.8,1.9.3.3,3.6,4.1,4.2,4.3,4.4,4.5]
• [1.1,1.2,3.1,3.2,3.3,3.5,4.1,4.2,4.8,6.1]

Demonstrate how developments in practice may be disseminated to the multidisciplinary team

• [2.2,2.3,2.4,2.5,3.4]
• [1.2,2.1,2.2,4.7]

Recognise when an error has occurred and to understand the principles behind reporting and investigating this

• [1.5,3.1,3.3,3.5,3.6,4.1]
• [1.1,1.3,2.2,3.2,4.3,4.4,4.7,4.9,6.1,6.5]

Contribute to strategies to improve patient safety (eg checklist development, IT systems)

• [3.6,4.1]
• [3.5,4.3,4.4,4.6,4.7]

Be aware of and keep up to date with national and local patient safety initiatives

• [3.1,3.2,3.3,4.1,4.2]
• [1.1,2.1,3.1,3.2,3.3,3.5,4.1,4.3.4.4,4.7]

Recognise, critically evaluate and respond to influences on prescribing practice at local and national levels

• [3.1,3.2,3.3,4.1,4.2]
• [1.1,2.1,3.1,3.2,3.3,3.5,4.1,4.3.4.4,4.7,6.1]

Identify and critically appraise relevant sources of information, advice and decision support including research

• [3.1,3.3,3.6,4.1,4.2,4.3]
• [1.3,6.1,6.2,6.3,6.4,6.5,6.6]

Critically evaluate the difference between professional accountability and responsibility for medicines use

• [2.1,4.1,4.2,4.3,4.4,4.5]
• [1.3,1.4,3.2,4.3,6.1]

Recognise internal and external factors that influence prescribing decisions and consider management strategies for these

• [1.2,1.4,1.8,3.6,4.3,4.4]
• [1.1,1.2,1.3,1.4,3.1,3.2,4.1,4.2,4.7,4.8]

*Bracketed codes denote mapping against the RPS Foundation Practice Framework and the RPS Advanced Practice Framework respectively.

Explain how budgets are held and how decisions are made and managed around switching prescribed drugs

• [4.1,4.2,4.3,4.4,4.5]
• [1.2,1.3,3.1,3.2,3.3,4.1,4.2,4.7]

Understand to clinical governance frameworks through quality assurance and audit of prescribing practice

• [1.3,1.4,1.8,1.9.3.3,3.6,4.1,4.2,4.3,4.4,4.5]
• [1.1,1.2,3.1,3.2,3.3,3.5,4.1,4.2,4.8,6.1]

Explain prescribing safely, rationally and cost effectively taking into account evidence based practice at an individual patient level

• [1.4,1.8,1.9.3.3,3.6,4.4,4.5]
• [3.1,3.2,3.3,3.5,4.1,4.2,4.8,6.1]

Demonstrate the ability to contribute where appropriate to the investigation of patient safety incidents, particularly in areas where medicines have played a role in either causation or by omission

• [1.5,3.1,3.3,3.5,3.6,4.1]
• [1.1,1.3,2.2,3.2,4.3,4.4,4.7,4.9,6.1,6.5]

*Bracketed codes denote mapping against the RPS Foundation Practice Framework and the RPS Advanced Practice Framework respectively.

Demonstrate reflective practice and identify learning opportunities to fulfil CPD needs and maintain a critical and reflective record of CPD activity

• [2.1,3.5,3.6]
• [1.3,1.4,4.3,4.5,4.8,5.4,6.1]

Demonstrate working in partnership with care team members and an advanced level of understanding of the roles of other

• [2.1,2.3,2.4]
• [1.2,2.1,2.2,5.1]

Demonstrate the ability to interface effectively between multiple care sectors

• [1.9.2.1,2.3,2.4,4.3]
• [2.1,2.2,4.9,5.1]

Evaluate their own academic and personal progression in line with a recognised professional competency framework

• [2.1]
• [3.6]

*Bracketed codes denote mapping against the RPS Foundation Practice Framework and the RPS Advanced Practice Framework respectively.

Provisional marks and feedback for coursework returned within 15 working days.

Exam marks and final marks returned after ratification at exam board. 

To be specified within Blackboard space.