MSc Clinical Pharmacy

Year of entry: 2024

Course unit details:
Medicines Optimisation and Therapeutics 2

Course unit fact file
Unit code PHAR63012
Credit rating 15
Unit level FHEQ level 7 – master's degree or fourth year of an integrated master's degree
Teaching period(s) Semester 2
Available as a free choice unit? No

Overview

This unit is compulsory for students registered on the MSc/PGDip Clinical Pharmacy.

This unit will develop students’ knowledge in complex chronic disease states.  Students will apply this knowledge to review patients and optimise their therapy through a series of case study and wiki exercises and pharmaceutical care plans.

The unit will deliver learning on:

  • Therapeutic options for complex disease states including vascular disease, kidney and complex gastroenterology/hepatic disease, musculoskeletal disorders e.g. rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease and palliative care.
  • Critical evaluation of primary evidence and national guidelines relating these to the individual patient needs.
  • Medicines optimisation issues including patient safety and wastage of medicines, which will include relevant national policy and guidelines.
  • Patient-centred care including patient and health care professional communication and consultation skills
  • Critically review the therapeutic options in the management of specific disease states
  • Identify how to monitor the desired outcomes and adverse effects of drug therapy
  • Discuss the complexities of therapeutic decision making in complex disease states and patient groups
  • Present pharmaceutical care plans for an individual patient’s management, explaining all the patients pharmaceutical care requirements and identifying the role of the pharmacist in medicines optimisation
  • Utilise the principles of CPD to further enhance their professional development in line with a professional competency framework.

 

Pre/co-requisites

Unit title Unit code Requirement type Description
Foundations of Clinical Pharmacy PHAR63001 Pre-Requisite Compulsory
Evidence Based Practice PHAR63002 Co-Requisite Compulsory

Aims

The unit aims to:

  • further develop the knowledge and skills required to engage in medicines optimisation and apply clinical problem solving skills to complex chronic disease states.

 

Teaching and learning methods

Online Option:

This course unit is delivered online using Blackboard 10. All learning material is presented in week by week folders to help students manage their time. Each week will contain four main elements; background reflective tasks, learning in the form of an e-lecture, embedded video or webinar, further reading and finally a task to consolidate learning (e.g. completion of coursework, formative quiz or participation in a group discussion).

The unit will develop the student’s knowledge in the following areas:

  • Renal disease
  • Hepatic disease
  • Parkinson’s disease
  • Epilepsy
  • Musculoskeletal disease (rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis)
  • Palliative care
  • Vascular disease

Students will be engaged in the following activities to further develop their skills in the application of the above knowledge:

  • small group eLearning tasks based around case study problem identification, analysis and resolution
  • interpretation and application of clinical evidence through case studies and patient profiles
  • preparation of pharmaceutical care plans
  • understand the relationship between individual patient needs and therapeutics in different disease states
  • opportunities to engage subject experts in formal case discussions and virtual discussion boards.

Knowledge and understanding

Students should be able to:

  • demonstrate a systematic understanding of specific disease states and the complex issues involved in therapeutic optimisation and individualising care for patients with these diseases (RA, osteoporosis, palliative care, renal disease, hepatic disease, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease and vascular disease)
  • demonstrate an advanced knowledge of best clinical practice and its application to clinical practice and pharmaceutical care of patients with specific disease states (above).

Intellectual skills

Students should be able to:

  • integrate theory and research of disease pathology and disease management with patient information to apply best evidence to practice in a clinical problem-solving context
  • critically analyse and evaluate the relevant scientific literature in therapeutics and practice research
  • use critical reasoning to synthesise, analyse and evaluate clinical and contextual data in order to apply this to resolve individual patient drug-related problems
  • apply these skills to pharmaceutical care planning.

Practical skills

Students should be able to:

  • safely and competently carry out a range of patient-based clinical skills; taking a drug history from a patient, evaluating individual patients’ pharmaceutical care needs, ensuring drug prescriptions and regimens are safe, effective and legal, identifying pharmaceutical care issues with resolutions and care planning
  • use resources to collect and select information about the optimal clinical management of a patient
  • develop oral presentation skills [blended option only]
  • carry out constructive peer review.

Transferable skills and personal qualities

Students should be able to:

  • manage effective team working by carrying out tasks within a small group in a structured situation
  • evaluate their own academic and personal progression
  • learn effectively for the purpose of continuing professional development and in a wider context throughout their career including identifying competency against a professional competency framework.

Assessment methods

Method Weight
Written exam 70%
Written assignment (inc essay) 30%
Assessment task Length Feedback Weighting

Formative assessment: Compulsory for online and blended Clinical Pharmacy learners; optional for CPD / ACPP learners (please discuss with your Educational Supervisor)

Pharmaceutical care plan (1 individual plan)

 

Suggested no longer than 2,000 words

Blended option: Case based discussion with workplace tutor in a clinical setting with informal feedback. Feedback given at an appropriate time for learning ahead of summative submission

Online option: Formative feedback provided by the unit team via Blackboard

N/A

Summative assessment: Clinical Pharmacy online and blended learners

Written Examination (MCQ and case-based questions (two compulsory)

2 hours

Feedback provided within the UNiversity Feedback timelines following examination board at end of semester via email and supplemented with individualised Smallvoice generated feedback

70% for online and blended options

Summative assessment: Clinical Pharmacy online and blended learners

Assessed pharmaceutical care plan

Suggested no longer than 2,000 words

Feedback provided within the University Feedback timekines (15 days) via Grade Centre and supplemented with individual feedback 30% for online and blended options

Feedback methods

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

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

Recommended reading

Wallentin L, Becker RC, Budaj A et al. Ticagrelor versus clopidogrel in patients with acute coronary syndromes. The New England Journal of Medicine 2009; 361:1045¿1057.

The Task Force on the management of ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction of the European Society of Cardiology. Management of acute myocardial infarction in patients presenting with persistent ST-segment elevation. European Heart Journal 2008; 29: 2909–2945

CADTH Therapeutic Review: New Oral Anticoagulants for the Prevention of Thromboembolic Events in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation June 2012

http://www.cadth.ca/media/pdf/tr0002_New-Oral-Anticoagulants_rec_e.pdf

Potpara TS, Lip GY, Apostolakis S. New anticoagulant treatments to protect against stroke in atrial fibrillation . Heart 2012;98:1341-1347

Guidelines for the management of Atrial Fibrillation. The Task Force for the Management of Atrial Fibrillation of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) available at: http://eurheartj.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2010/08/28/eurheartj.ehq278.full.pdf+html

The Epilepsies – The diagnosis and management of the epilepsies in adults and children in primary and secondary care.  NICE clinical guideline 137. January 2012

NICE Clinical Guideline 35: Parkinson’s Disease (Full Guideline and Quick Reference Guide available) http://www.nice.org.uk/CG035

NICE technology appraisal 87. Secondary prevention of osteoporosis

http://www.nice.org.uk/TA161

BSR/BHPR guidelines for DMARD therapy in consultation with the British Association of Dermatologists (April 2008)  

http://www.rheumatology.org.uk/guidelines/guidelines_other

Shaw S, Coleman A, Selby N, Acute Kidney Injury, diagnosis, staging prevention and management. Clinical Pharmacist 2012;4:p98-107

NCEPOD report – acute kidney injury 2009

http://www.ncepod.org.uk/2009aki.htm

Das Joyeta. Liver Disease: managing the complications. Clinical Pharmacist. May 2011; 145-148

Drug Induced Hepatotoxicity. NEJM 2006; 354; 7: 731-739

Study hours

Scheduled activity hours
Assessment written exam 2
eAssessment 25
Lectures 4
Tutorials 2
Independent study hours
Independent study 117

Teaching staff

Staff member Role
Raeesa Tailor Unit coordinator

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