Advanced Pharmacy Practice MSc / PGDip

Program Overview

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Overview

This programme provides education and training for experienced pharmacists (at least 2 years post-registration) to develop advanced level knowledge and skills whilst working in practice.

The NHS is currently experiencing an unprecedented demand for services, with an increasing recognition of the need to provide personalised and seamless care. Pharmacists in every sector are in a position to play a key leadership role in addressing these challenges and innovating for the future.

This programme is mapped to both the Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s

Advanced

Pharmacy Framework (APF) and the NHS Long Term Plan, to ensure that students can thrive in the NHS of the future and work towards becoming consultant pharmacists. It is designed for experienced pharmacists working in Primary Care, Secondary Care and Community Pharmacy.

Working as part of a multidisciplinary team is key to the development of relationships and experience in any healthcare setting. The University of Bradford

School of Pharmacy & Medical Sciences

is well positioned to ensure that multidisciplinary learning and working is at the forefront of the course design due to its close involvement with programmes for other allied health professionals, including physician associates, nurses and paramedics.

As an experienced pharmacist you will be guided in the choice of modules available on this programme to best suit your intended direction of development and career progression in line with the RPS Advanced Pharmacy Framework.

This is a part-time blended learning programme. The programme is delivered as a mixture of study days at the University of Bradford, webinars and self-directed learning.

The course is not suitable for international students, although international students who are registered with the GPhC and working in the UK are able to apply.

Please note that the support of your employer is normally required to complete this programme as assessments include work-based assessments.

For advice on whether the Advanced Pharmacy Practice Programme is appropriate for you, or if you do not have the support of your employer, please

contact the programme leader Mrs Diane Webb

.

Program Outline

What you will study

All module information is for 2022 entry, and is subject to change.

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First year

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Postgraduate Certificate

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Core

Advanced Synoptic 1

Plus one patient-facing option from

:

Advanced Communication Skills

Advanced Therapeutics

Prescribing for Pharmacists

Advanced Physical Assessment and Clinical Decision Making

Plus one leadership option from

:

Health and Social Care Leadership

Managing People in Health and Social Care

Understanding Health and Social Care through Policy and Strategy

Leading Change and Service Improvement in Health and Social Care

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Postgraduate Diploma

Advanced Synoptic 2

Any combination of

60 credits

from the modules above

or

Aseptics in Practice

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Degree of Master

Quality and Service Improvement Project (Advanced)

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Learning and assessment

The programme uses a blended and flexible approach to learning, which allows students to choose the most appropriate route for them.  The learning and teaching strategy includes attendance at study days, eLearning, role play, webinars and work-based learning. Students will also produce an eportfolio each year to demonstrate their progression along the Advanced Pharmacy Framework (APF); the professional benchmark at this level.

There is optionality for students throughout the programme, both in their choice of modules and in their choice of assignments. This allows a personalised learning experience to suit each student’s development needs. Most optional modules will include inter-professional learning with other healthcare professionals, giving students the opportunity to learn with, and about others.

The programme is designed to provide students with continuous formative and summative assessment and feedback to enable them to develop and demonstrate their knowledge of the topics as well as their work-based skills.

Students will demonstrate:

The confidence and ability to communicate effectively with patients and healthcare professionals, including communicating complex, contentious or sensitive information

The ability to take a leadership role as a member of the healthcare team to provide safe, high-quality person-centred care

The ability to work autonomously to solve complex problems and use sound reasoning and judgement in decision making

The behaviour befitting a role model and the ability to effectively lead and mentor others

The ability to map progress to the relevant competency framework and plan personal development activities accordingly

Students will work on their (synoptic) eportfolio throughout the programme. This includes evidence of their practice to demonstrate their progress on the Advanced Pharmacy Framework. Students will identify their own development needs (with the support of their personal academic tutor and/or practice tutor) to ensure they cover the entire framework. A pass in the Advanced Synoptic 1 module is a requirement for the award of Postgraduate Certificate. A pass in Advanced Synoptic 1 and Advanced Synoptic 2 is a requirement for the award of Postgraduate Diploma and MSc.

In order to develop the communication skills that pharmacist leaders in practice need, there are a variety of summative assessments, including written assignments, objective structured clinical exams (OSCEs), presentations and work-based assessments.

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Official programme specification

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Career support

The University is committed to helping students develop and enhance employability and this is an integral part of many programmes. Specialist support is available throughout the course from Career and Employability Services including help to find part-time work while studying, placements, vacation work and graduate vacancies. Students are encouraged to access this support at an early stage and to use the extensive resources on the

Careers

website.

Discussing options with specialist advisers helps to clarify plans through exploring options and refining skills of job-hunting. In most of our programmes there is direct input by Career Development Advisers into the curriculum or through specially arranged workshops.

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Career prospects

Past students have gone on to gain promotion with their current or a different employer and/or sector of pharmacy.