MSc Clinical Pharmacy / Course details

This course unit is delivered online using Blackboard. 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:

• Diabetes
• Cardiology – hypertension and heart failure
• Respiratory disease – COPD and asthma
• Introduction to Gastroenterology – PUD and IBD
• Infections and sepsis
• Depression and dementia.

Students will enage in the following learning activities to develop their skills and application of the above knowledge:

• Small group eLearning tasks based around case study problem identification, analysis and resolution
• Oral presentations of case analysis’ [blended option only]
• 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.

Online and face-to-face teaching will be interactive and will normally use a case study to illustrate the major therapeutic issues outlined in the learning objectives. Tutorials also provide an opportunity to develop the student’s verbal and written communication skills through eLearning tasks, patient profiles and case presentations (blended option only).

The unit will foster an online student community with interactive activities and communications with the unit team.

The online and face to face workshops and tutorials included in the course allow students the opportunities to broaden knowledge and provide the opportunity for group discussion of more complex disease states and practice-related issues regarding medicines optimisation. 

Blended Option:

The unit will be delivered as above, providing students with a structured online learning programme, but complemented by two study days. The study days will consist of application workshops delivered by expert clinical specialists, thus providing the students a unique learning experience.

CPD option:

The unit will be delivered as above, however, students will not undertake an examination in order to minimise their absence from the workplace. The examination will be replaced by a pharmaceutical review, a pharmaceutical care plan and oral case presentation.

Students will 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 (namely asthma, COPD, hypertension, heart failure, PUD, IBD, diabetes, depression, dementia and general infection)
• Demonstrate an advanced knowledge of best clinical practice/national guidance and application to clinical practice and pharmaceutical care of patients with these specific disease states

Students will 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, practice research, medicines management, health economics, health-related social sciences and health policy.
• Use critical reasoning to synthesise, analyse and evaluate primary and secondary sources of data from clinical and health services areas and apply these to individual patient problem-solving and wider policy decision-making.

Students will 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.
• Use library, electronic and online resources to collect and select information about the optimal clinical management of a patient.
• Present primary and secondary clinical and health services data in written (case reports, essays and reports) and oral forms.
• Carry out constructive peer review.
• Develop presentation skills.

Students will be able to:

• Learn effectively for the purpose of continuing professional development and in a wider context throughout their career.
• Learn to manage effective team working by carrying out tasks within a small group in a structured situation, and by preparing and giving an oral presentation of data, information or the solution to a team task.
• Manage change effectively and respond to changing demands.
• Evaluate his/her own academic and personal progression.

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

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