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Aim
The aim of this programme is to develop pharmacists who can act as role models in both the performance and future development of clinical services.
Objectives
In the initial stages of the programme, students will enhance their clinical knowledge, learn how to optimise drug therapy and develop their problem-solving skills. Another focus will be on enhancing written and verbal communication skills and developing the student's ability to critically evaluate information from a range of clinical, scientific and health services literature. The students will be introduced to a variety of health services issues which will be explored and discussed in relation to delivery of pharmaceutical care. These issues include health economics, patient perspectives on health and organisational influences in health care.
For the Master's degree, the research project will extend students' earlier exposure to research methods and design through the application of research skills to a novel area of pharmacy practice.
Entry Requirements
British and EU applicants will normally:
(a) be a qualified pharmacist as defined by the Medicines Act (1968), whose name is currently on the Register of Pharmaceutical Chemists held by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain
or (b) hold an approved European Diploma as listed in Schedule 1(a) of the Pharmaceutical Qualification (EEC reciprocation) Order 1987
Students from outside the UK should be proficient in the use of the English language; demonstrated by recent scores of 6-6.5 in the British Council IELTS test or 550 in the American TOEFL test. If required, the University's English Language Training Unit will provide pre-sessional courses.
Applicants for the MSc will normally possess a first or second class honours degree in pharmacy from a recognised University, or an equivalent qualification.
Student Numbers
The maximum number of students taking the full-time programme annually will be 6. The maximum number of students taking the part-time programme annually will be 16. For most of the taught components of the course, the full-time and part-time students will be taught together.
Outline of the Course
Programme Curriculum
The structure of the Master of Science / Diploma programme includes the four taught modules listed below:
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Credits |
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Clinical Pharmacy Practice Module |
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30 |
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Pharmacoeconomics and Practice Research Module |
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30 |
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Advances in Therapeutics Module |
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30 |
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Social and Economic Issues in Health Module |
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30 |
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Total credits (Diploma): |
120 |
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Research Project* |
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60 |
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Total credits (MSc): |
180 |
* Full-time MSc students will be required to submit a Drug Use Evaluation (10 credits) at the end of Semester 1 before undertaking the Research Project which will then be worth 50 credits.
NB: The full-time MSc programme also contains an Orientation Module which is particularly designed for overseas students. It will comprise several tutorials introducing students to the UK health service. The module is held at the beginning of the programme and is non-examinable.
The structure of the MSc / Diploma Programme is given in Table 1.
Table 1: Structure of the MSc / Diploma Programme
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Clinical Pharmacy Practice |
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Pharmacoeconomics and Practice Research |
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Advances in Therapeutics |
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Social and Economic Issues in Health |
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Each taught module comprises 12 full study days. All students will be required to prepare for the study days by reading the background material provided prior to each session.The teaching methods used include small group tutorials, workshops and experience-based learning at both the University of Manchester and within hospitals under the guidance of experienced practitioners.
The course commences in September each year. The full-time programme, leading to a Master of Science degree, lasts one year. The part-time Diploma programme comprises four taught components over two years. Part-time students eligible to convert the Diploma to an MSc will have five years from the date of initial registration to submit a Master's thesis. However, part-time students pursuing an MSc will be strongly encouraged to complete a research project within one further year after completion of the taught components.
Orientation Module - No Credit Rating
This module, primarily for overseas students, comprises several tutorials and practice visits which introduce students to the UK health service. The module is held at the beginning of the programme and is non-examinable. It is optional for UK students.
Clinical Pharmacy Practice - Credit Rating 30
The aim of this module is to foster the concept of pharmaceutical care and a patient-focused approach to practice. It will develop and integrate, in a practice setting, a systematic approach to problem-solving. There is also emphasis on the development of communication skills relevant to practice. One element of the module comprises a wide range of tutorials covering laboratory data interpretation, the therapeutics of common disease states and clinical skills. The second element will incorporate a structured period of practice in hospital settings. The skills to be developed include; completion of patient profiles, identification of drug-related problems, drug history taking, patient counselling and discharge planning.
Advances in Therapeutics - Credit Rating 30
The aim of this module is to develop an understanding of therapeutic decision- making in different patient groups. This will be undertaken through the development of a knowledge base of therapeutic options in the management of specific diseases, skills in monitoring the desired outcomes and adverse effects of treatment and the application of pharmacokinetics to clinical practice. Each tutorial will be moderated by a clinical pharmacist with expertise in a particular therapeutic area. The subjects covered will encompass those in which pharmacists can make a significant contribution to patient care.
Pharmacoeconomics and Practice Research - Credit Rating 30
The aim of this module is to explore the principles of pharmacoeconomics and research methods and their application to the practice of pharmacy. The module will review the concepts of health economics and the application of prescribing data and audit in practice. Examples of workshops include student participation in how to develop a formulary and design their own drug use evaluation. The students will also develop a critical approach to the evaluation of medical and health services literature. Practical exercises in the use of different research methods and a review of the basic principles of statistics will enable students to formulate a research proposal.
Social and Economic Issues in Health Care - Credit Rating 30
The aim of this module is to develop an understanding of the sociological, economic, ethical and organisational issues in health and pharmaceutical care. Students will explore these aspects and determine how they impact on health and pharmaceutical service provision. Students will gain a greater depth of understanding of the expanding role of health economics in decision-making. Subjects included under this module include international comparisons of health care, health care ethics and rationing, lay perspectives on health and measuring the outcomes of patient care. Students will normally be given a problem or case study before each study day which will be used as the basis for workshop activity.
Research Project - Credit Rating 60
This research project will be undertaken in either a community or hospital practice setting over a 5 month period, full-time, or an equivalent period part-time. The project will incorporate a literature review, study design, data collection and data analysis and interpretation in an area of pharmacy practice. The research area will be determined by the Programme Director in consultation with individual students.
If you would like further information, please contact Mrs. J. Dean at the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Alternatively, you can send an e-mail to PNoyce@fs1.pa.man.ac.uk.
