MSc Clinical Pharmacy / Course details

Our professionally recognised MSc/PGDip Clinical Pharmacy course and offers a mix of clinical, applied practice, public health and research units, giving you the knowledge and skills to be an excellent clinical pharmacist.

You will also cover applied practice topics including health economics, public health, pharmacy practice research, training others and organisational influences on healthcare.

If you want to undertake research, you will be supported by one of our leading academic researchers to undertake a small-scale clinical research project to complete the MSc award.

Following four compulsory units in Year 1, you can choose from 14 units in Year 2 to tailor the course to your own interests. There are two learning routes to suit pharmacists in all patient-facing roles and with differing work demands.

Distance learning

This is a completely online route and allows you to study from home at times convenient to you, which is ideal for international students, shift workers and those based outside the Manchester area.

Interactive online learning supplemented by webinars will enhance your skills in optimising drug therapy and clinical problem-solving. This route is open to pharmacists in any patient-facing role.

Blended learning

This route consists of six campus-based study days per year and interactive online learning that will enhance your clinical knowledge, teaching you to optimise drug therapy and develop your problem-solving skills.

You need to be in a patient-facing role and will need both a suitable work environment and work-based tutor. Study days are mandatory.

This route is generally aimed at Band 6 and 7 pharmacists who are seeking to develop within the NHS.

Both routes are open to qualified pharmacists who would like to develop their clinical skills and enhance their practice.

This course aims to help you develop:

• advanced knowledge and understanding of the management of a range of acute and chronic conditions;
• skills in medicines optimisation and the ability to communicate with a range of healthcare professionals to promote the appropriate use of medicines;
• skills in the critical evaluation of a range of health services literature.

Apply your knowledge to work

The content of this course has been written by clinical experts with a focus on workplace application.

Varied unit options

This course can be tailored to meet the needs of your own career goals through a range of optional course units in the second year and choice of research dissertation in the final year. We offer a selection of 16 learning units, including unique optional units such as paediatrics, mental health, public health and leadership.

Develop research skills

You will have the opportunity to conduct master's-level research within a university ranked number 1 for research power in pharmacy within the UK in the national Research Excellence Framework (UoA3 REF 2014).

The course uses a range of teaching and learning approaches, including:

• the Blackboard learning management system
• e-lectures, podcasts and webinars
• online discussion forums and wikis
• e-journals.

Blended or online learning?

We offer both blended and distance learning study options to suit your own location and circumstances.

All students will benefit from:

• shared learning content online;
• content mapped against the RPS Foundation Practice Framework;
• mixed assessment methods;
• access to expert academic staff and clinical teachers.

Blended learning students will benefit from:

• study days at the University;
• a workplace tutor and workplace-based learning;
• RPS Foundation Recognition.

Distance learning students will benefit from:

• study webinars;
• academic advisors;
• access to materials to pursue RPS Recognition.

We use a range of assessments that allow you to demonstrate your clinical knowledge and skills in medicines optimisation and critical analysis.

We use a variety of formative and summative assessments including online quizzes and exams, participation in online discussion boards, patient case studies and care plans, oral case presentations, professional development and clinical portfolios and research protocol.

Candidates for all three awards will need to achieve an overall mark of 50% in each course unit to progress.

The course is delivered online, which means you do not need to study in Manchester. However, our staff make full use of a range of facilities to deliver high quality learning experiences to online learners.

If you choose the blended learning route, you will attend study days in a dedicated training room at the University and have access to the varied resources and facilities on campus.