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

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.

This unit is delivered online using Blackboard. All learning material is presented in weekly folders to help students manage their time. Each week contains four main elements; background reflective tasks, learning in the form of e-lectures, embedded videos or webinars, further reading and finally a task to consolidate learning (eg, completion of coursework or participation in an action learning set wiki group discussion).

The online webinars included in the course allow students the opportunities to broaden their knowledge and provide the opportunity for group discussion of more complex practice-related issues regarding medicines management.   

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.

Performance descriptors are provided 15 days after submission via Grademark. This will be supplemented with individualised feedback within Blackboard. 

An up-to-date reading list for the unit is available on Reading Iists online via Blackboard. 

Other scheduled teaching and learning activities: (15 hours)

• 2 x 1-hour tutorial with Education Supervisor using a nominated online communication tool, eg, Zoom
• 4 hours webinars
• 8 hours of participation in self-directed online 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.