MSc Clinical Pharmacy / Course details

Year of entry: 2024

Course unit details:
Evidence Based Practice

Course unit fact file
Unit code PHAR63002
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 provide students with a baseline skillset to be able to locate, analyse and utilise healthcare literature. The unit will combine e-lectures, reading and a journal club to develop these skills.

Students will take a patient-centred approach to applying critical reasoning, analysis and evaluation of primary and secondary sources of data from clinical and health services areas; this will promote problem-solving and wider policy decision-making skills to inform prescribing analysis, formulary decisions and medicines access, such as introduction of new drugs within their local practice.

During the unit students will:

  • Utilise library databases available (Medline, EMBASE, etc) using a systematic approach.
  • Calculate risk measures from a study synopsis or data
  • Apply evidence based medicine to their practice
  • Be able to review an article and present the critical evaluation in report form, making decisions around its economic viability
  • Demonstrate the concept of critical analysis
  • Critically analyse literature to identify points of interest or conflict that should be considered
  • Identify the study design with its associated measures of risk
  • Calculate the various measures of risk (OR, RR, NNT, AR) and interpret them for clinical literature
  • Demonstrate the application of evidence based medicine in patient care such as the selection of medicines based on evidence and how formulary decisions are made.

The unit will be assessed by MCQ examination, critical evaluation of a study and participation in online discussions for both the online and blended options. For the CPD/ACPP option, students will not undertake an examination in order to minimise their absence from the workplace. The examination will be replaced by a critique of a study of the student’s choosing, applied to patient care in the context of their workplace.

Pre/co-requisites

Unit title Unit code Requirement type Description
Medicines Optimisation and Therapeutics 2 PHAR63012 Co-Requisite Compulsory

Aims

The unit aims to:

  • Enable students to evaluate the healthcare literature and understand the types of studies used to evaluate prescribing, medication utilisation and clinical outcomes.
  • Support students in analysing and using information to effectively manage medicines in practice for prescribing, formulary decisions and patient access to new medicines.

Teaching and learning methods

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). Throughout this course unit, short answer questions are embedded in the e-lectures for students to test their understanding of the material.

The unit will demonstrate the importance of literature, outcomes research and analysis in medication decision making on the management of medicines and formularies. The principles of critical analysis and evaluation will be applied to relevant peer reviewed therapeutic literature, practice research, medicines management, health economics, health-related social sciences and health policy.

During the unit the student will be taught critical evaluation of the literature and how to identify, quantify and qualify studies for the necessary evidence that will be helpful in the decision making process in prescribing practice. There will be an application of the theory by discussion of literature and consideration of the decision making process involved. This will teach learners how decisions are made in practice, such as selection of medicines for a patient, considering the viability of new drugs to market, the introduction of drugs to formularies and how drugs are critiqued based on data.

Observational studies and measures used in medication evaluation will be evaluated and the risks of clinical outcomes discussed; this will then apply to the process of medicines management.

Students will take a patient-centred approach to applying critical reasoning, analysis and evaluation of primary and secondary sources of data from clinical and health services areas; this will promote problem-solving and wider policy decision-making skills.

During the unit students will utilise library databases available (Medline, EMBASE, etc.) using a systematic approach.

Calculate risk measures from a study synopsis or data

Apply ethical implications of prescribing

Apply evidence based medicine

Be able to review an article and present the critical evaluation in report form

Students will also prepare a summary report comparing two studies to demonstrate critical evaluation skills, critical thinking and the synthesis of data to identify the risks of a medication. This will be translated to interpret risk to the patient and effectively manage medicines in practice.

The on-line 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 practice-related issues regarding medicines optimisation.  They also provide an opportunity to develop the student’s communication and consultation skills.

Blended Option:

The unit will be delivered as above, however, providing students with a complementary study day. The study day will consist of application workshops and a journal club meeting delivered by expert specialists, thus providing the students a unique learning experience.

ACPP and CPD options:

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 critique of a study of the student’s choosing, applied to patient care in the context of their workplace.

Knowledge and understanding

  • Demonstrate a systematic understanding of statistical and ethical issues in clinical and health services research.
  • Demonstrate a conceptual and critical understanding of medicines management methods in use in healthcare and pharmaceutical care that inform formulary decisions and introduction of new medicines.

Intellectual skills

  • Critically analyse and evaluate the relevant scientific literature in therapeutics, practice research, medicines management, health economics, health-related social sciences and health policy to inform decisions in practice such as prescribing, medicine selection and formulary management.
  • 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 prescribing, medicine selection and formulary management.

Practical skills

  • Analyse qualitative and quantitative data to determine their strength and validity.
  • Present primary and secondary clinical and health services data in written forms.

Transferable skills and personal qualities

  • Manage effective team working by carrying out tasks within a small group and by preparing and presenting data, information or the solution to a team task.
  • Manage change effectively and respond to changing demands.
  • 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 50%
Written assignment (inc essay) 50%

Feedback methods

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

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

Study hours

Independent study hours
Independent study 150

Teaching staff

Staff member Role
Li-Chia Chen Unit coordinator

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