MPharm Pharmacy with a Foundation Year / Course details

Year of entry: 2023

Course unit details:
The Pharmacist (Year 3): Developing Professional Practice

Course unit fact file
Unit code PHAR30200
Credit rating 30
Unit level Level 3
Teaching period(s) Full year
Available as a free choice unit? No

Overview

This unit provides students with the opportunity to develop their critical thinking, decision making and communication skills in a community pharmacy context. Students also develop their understanding of ethics and professional behaviour alongside NHS policy and service development in the wider NHS structure.

Pre/co-requisites

Unit title Unit code Requirement type Description
PHAR10200 Pre-Requisite Compulsory
PHAR10400 Pre-Requisite Compulsory
PHAR20300 Pre-Requisite Compulsory

Aims

  • To give the students an opportunity to develop their communication skills with particular reference to advising patients how to treat minor ailments using OTC medicines.
  • To develop their problem solving skills in responding to patients symptoms and queries.
  • To give students the ability to deal with over the counter (OTC) queries, including more advanced queries.
  • To give students the ability to discuss with patients the safety and efficacy of complementary therapies.
  • To provide insight into professional and policy issues which impact on working within the NHS.
  • To provide an understanding of ethics and professional behaviour and their application to the practice of pharmacy in the UK.

Assessment methods

Assessment Weighting Equivalent credits
Exam 75% 13
Service proposal presentation 25% 5
OSCE P/F 10
CPPE consultation skills e-learning and associated e-learning assessment P/F 2

The OSCE exam is a special regulation exam, which allows students to have three attempts at the exam, provided they are eligible for resits. If a student causes significant patient harm during any OSCE station it will result in automatic failure.

Feedback methods

  • Formative exam (MOSCE).
  • Formative assessment checkpoints (three per semester).
  • Group feedback on presentation.
  • Weekly role play feedback and Mock OSCE.

Recommended reading

  • Symptoms in the Pharmacy: A guide to the Management of Common Illnesses. Eighth Edition. Blenkinsopp, Duerden and Blenkinsopp, Wiley-Blackwell, 2018. All relevant chapters.
  • Pharmaceutical Practice. fifth edition. Chapter 21, 24, 25, :Prescribing for minor ailments. Winfield AJ, Rees JA, Smith I. Churchill Livingstone, 2009. ISBN 978-0-443-06906-2.
  • Minor illness, Major disease. Fifth edition.  Addison, Brown Edwards and Gray. Pharmaceutical Press, 2012.
  • Pharmacy and Medicines Law, Appelbe and Wingfield, Pharmaceutical Press, 10th ed., 2013. Chapters 11 (sale and supply of homeopathic medicines) and 12 (herbal medicines).
  • Pharmacy in Public Health. Krska (Editor). Pharmaceutical Press 2011. Sections 2 & 3.

Study hours

Scheduled activity hours
Assessment practical exam 10
Lectures 22
Practical classes & workshops 30
Independent study hours
Independent study 238

Teaching staff

Staff member Role
Harsha Parmar Unit coordinator
Jenny Hughes Unit coordinator
Sonia Kauser Unit coordinator

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