Advanced Pharmacy Practice

PgCert (Stage 1) - 30 weeks, Jan – Aug

The first two modules are studied concurrently providing a strong foundation for your practice and future studies. Pharmaceutical Care Planning (30 credits) focuses on the development and implementation of evidence-based pharmaceutical care plans for patients and Therapeutics (30 credits) covers a wide range of therapeutic topics.

PgDip (Stage 2) - 30 weeks, Sept - May

You will complete 60 credits, 30 of which will be Pharmacist Independent Prescribing with a compulsory 5-day ‘virtual residential period’.  On completion of this module pharmacists will be eligible for annotation as Pharmacist Independent Prescribers by the General Pharmaceutical Council.

You will also choose two additional 15 credit modules from seven offered. Some of these will be studied with postgraduate students from the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Paramedic Practice:

• Prescribing Decision Making (15 credits)
• Clinical Practice Elective (Pharmacy) (15 credits)
• Advanced Therapeutics and Personalised Medicine (15 credits)
• Safety and Quality in Medicine Use (15 credits)
• Managing Long Term Conditions (15 credits)
• Advanced Concepts of Improving Health and Wellbeing (15 credits) 
• Clinical History Taking and Examination Skills for Advanced Practice (15 credits). This module requires a few days’ attendance at RGU (exact requirement to be confirmed in light of circumstances pertaining).

MSc (Stage 3) - 30 weeks, Sept - May

You will undertake an MSc by portfolio in the Advanced Pharmacy Practice module (60 credits) which includes research and evaluation, education and training, and leadership and management.  The content is mapped to relevant professional development frameworks enabling you to develop the relevant knowledge, skills, attitudes and competencies required for effective advanced pharmacy practice.

Learning Methods

You will be taught part-time via our virtual learning environment CampusMoodle, allowing you to develop all necessary knowledge, skills, attitude and competencies while you remain in employment. Regular evening webinars are a feature, providing opportunities for support, sharing of practice and input from subject experts. 

The Course Leader is a central point for information and support with regard to the delivery of the course. It is also recommended (but not mandatory) that you have a workplace mentor to provide local support and encouragement.

As part of the Pharmacist Independent Prescribing module, the pharmacist’s period of learning in practice must be supervised by a Designated Prescribing Practitioner (DPP) who may be a medical or a non-medical independent prescriber.

Further information on this role in relation to our course and our requirements can be found in our DPP Guide.

Activity Summary

• Independent Study - 600h per stage, 10-20hrs per week
• Placement / Work Based Learning, Pharmacist Independent Prescribing module - 90 hours

How long is an Advanced Pharmacy Practice course?

The duration of the course is 2 years and 4 months; this includes time for independent study, coursework preparation, placement / work based learning and other activities.  Please note that there is a break between Stage 2 (Diploma) and Stage 3 (MSc).

Independent Study

All your materials will be provided online and are designed to allow self-assessment of learning needs.

Staff Delivering on this Course

Staff delivering this course are practised academics, with active links to national industry bodies including the Royal Pharmaceutical Society and the General Pharmaceutical Council.

The Course Leader is your central point for information and support with regard to the delivery of the course. You will be supported by university staff including e-tutors who are all practising clinical pharmacy practitioners, and many, pharmacist prescribers. They review the learning materials, provide real-life case scenarios and participate in the marking of practice related assessments. They facilitate discussion and learning within the modules and bring a unique practice-related perspective to learning.

Assessment

You will be assessed by continuous assessment based on your acquisition and application of knowledge in practice-related problem-based scenarios and activities including: responding to case studies, developing care plans and essay responses to specific topics and contribution to online discussion forums, formative peer-assessed essays, short answer problem/case study questions and multiple-choice questions. In addition there is a compulsory 5-day 'virtual residential' period as part of the Pharmacist Independent Prescribing module, during which you will complete an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) assessment. There will be a practical online assessment in Clinical History Taking and Examination Skills for Advanced Practice module.

Typically students are assessed each year:

• 6 written assignments, including essays
• 1 dissertation
• 4 portfolios
• 1 set exercises
• 1 oral assessment
• 1 practical skills assessment

Feedback

We aim to provide you with feedback within 20 working days of hand-in for all written exams, coursework and practical exams.

Academic Support

The Inclusion Centre advises and supports students who disclose a sensory or mobility impairment, chronic medical condition, mental health issue, dyslexia and other specific learning differences. Applicants are encouraged to arrange a pre-entry visit to discuss any concerns and to view the facilities.

Online Learning & Support

All undergraduate and postgraduate students, whether you are learning on campus or by online learning, benefit from using our collaborative virtual learning environment, CampusMoodle. You will be provided with 24/7 online access to your learning material and resources, along with the ability to interact with your class members and tutors for discussion and support.

Study Skills Support

The Study Support Team provides training and support to all students in:

• Academic writing
• Study skills (note taking, exam techniques, time management, presentation)
• Maths and statistics
• English language
• Information technology support

Library Support

The Library offers support for your course, including the books, eBooks, and journals you will need. We also offer online reading lists for many modules, workshops and drop-ins on searching skills and referencing, and much more.

Job Prospects

This course is designed to enable you to develop in the key competency areas for advanced practice including Pharmacist Independent Prescribing; the option of advanced clinical skills training as an elective module at the diploma stage complements this.  The interprofessional nature of some modules offers opportunities to enhance multi-disciplinary team working.  The course has been designed in collaboration with employers across the profession, in community pharmacy, primary and secondary care and in other settings to ensure that it is kept up-to-date and in line with current practice and the demands of the workplace, benefiting you and your employer.

Is studying the MSc Advanced Pharmacy Practice a good career choice?

The multi-disciplinary nature of the course and the inclusion of the Pharmacist Independent Prescribing practice certificate enhance its appeal to employers and as a result, career prospects are excellent.

What is needed to study MSc Advanced Pharmacy Practice?

• Applicants should have an 2:2 undergraduate honours degree in Pharmacy from a UK university, and two years post-registration relevant work experience* OR
• An integrated Master’s degree in Pharmacy (MPharm), and two years post-registration relevant work experience* OR
• The Overseas Pharmacists' Assessment Programme qualification and two years post-registration relevant work experience*
• Additionally, applicants must be registered as a Pharmacist with the General Pharmaceutical Council or the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland.

*Relevant work experience is considered that which is patient facing.

English Language Requirements

By meeting one of the full entry requirements stated, the English condition for this course is deemed as having been met.

Please note, some courses may require a higher standard of English than stated in this page. Contact admissions@rgu.ac.uk for further information.

Tuition fees for this Advanced Pharmacy Practice course are as follows:

For Academic Year 2022/2023

UK Students

• £2,850 for stage 1
• £2,850 for stage 2
• £1,890 for stage 3

EU Students

• £2,850 for stage 1
• £2,850 for stage 2
• £1,890 for stage 3

International Students

• £4,820 for stage 1
• £4,820 for stage 2
• £3,210 for stage 3

For Academic Year 2021/2022

UK Students

• £2,770 for stage 1
• £2,770 for stage 2
• £1,830 for stage 3

EU Students

• £2,770 for stage 1
• £2,770 for stage 2
• £1,830 for stage 3

International Students

• £4,680 for stage 1
• £4,680 for stage 2
• £3,120 for stage 3