Foundation Pharmacy Practice (Multi-sector) MSc/PGDip

Program Overview

This part-time blended learning program for early career pharmacists in the UK provides education and training to enhance their knowledge and skills in patient-facing sectors. It aligns with the NHS Long Term Plan and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society's Foundation Pharmacy Framework, enabling pharmacists to play a key role in addressing healthcare challenges. The program utilizes a team-based learning approach, expert practitioners, and patient involvement to promote active learning and a patient-centered approach.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

This program has been designed to provide education and training for early career pharmacists in any patient-facing sector, to develop their knowledge and skills whilst working in practice. Pharmacists in every sector are in a position to play a key role in addressing these challenges. This program is therefore mapped to both the Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s Foundation Pharmacy Framework (FPF) and the NHS Long Term Plan, enabling collaboration with all health professionals to ensure that the best quality of care can be delivered to the local population. This program is suitable for pharmacists registered and practicing in the UK, who are working at Foundation Level (newly qualified or in their first 1-2 years of practice). By the end of the program, students will have:

• the ability to solve complex problems and justify their decisions
• the confidence and ability to communicate effectively with patients and healthcare professionals
• the ability to reflect on their practice to inform their professional development
• the confidence and ability to work effectively and proactively across healthcare organizations to improve the quality of person-centered care, minimize risk, optimize safety and reduce health inequalities
• an understanding of the priorities of the NHS as reflected in the NHS Long Term Plan.
This includes understanding the role of a pharmacist across multiple sectors, person-centered care and treatment and prevention of ill health This is a part-time blended learning program. The program is delivered as a mixture of study days at the University of Bradford, webinars and self-directed learning. We utilize a “team-based” learning approach for the study days, which includes pre-reading materials, a “readiness-assurance process” that assesses students’ readiness for the upcoming class, and facilitated case-based scenarios, led by experts. This approach encourages active learning strategies for students to promote deeper learning. In addition to utilizing expert practitioners to co-deliver the teaching and learning, we embed patient and public involvement throughout the program to promote a patient-centered holistic approach to pharmacy practice.

Outline:

First year

• Foundations in Pharmacy Practice
• Advanced Communication Skills

Second year

Core

• Advanced Therapeutics

Option

• Prescribing Pharmacists
• Health and Social Care in Leadership
• Managing People in Health and Social Care
• Understanding Health and Social Care through Policy and Strategy
• Aseptics in Practice

Final year

Core

• Leading Change and Service Improvement in Health and Social Care
• Quality and Service Improvement Project

Option

• Prescribing Pharmacists
• Health and Social Care in Leadership
• Managing People in Health and Social Care
• Understanding Health and Social Care through Policy and Strategy
• Aseptics in Practice

Assessment:

The program uses an evidence-based blended approach to learning and students are treated as adult learners. The learning and teaching strategy includes regular (monthly) taught study days (attendance is compulsory). These will include assessed pre-study day tasks, keynote lectures, case-based problems, role play and collaborative learning. To support this learning there will also be webinars and online learning packages. The program aims to make use of students’ own experiences, allow choice in learning and assessment, provide continual formative feedback and encourage students to move to increasingly advanced stages of personal development. Much of the learning time will be dedicated to directed study, most of which will be work-based learning where students have the opportunity to practice and develop the knowledge, skills and values necessary to become a proficient foundation pharmacist. Work-based learning includes formative and summative assessment, reflection on learning experiences and tutorials. Students will receive regular feedback on work-based tasks, using validated assessment tools such as mini-clinical evaluation exercises (mini-CEX), case-based discussions (CBD) and direct observation of patient consultations (DOPC). They will meet regularly with their personal academic tutor and/or practice tutor to map their progress against the relevant competency framework, identify their learning needs and set objectives for the following month. In years 2 and 3 of the program there is also optionality for students, allowing them to choose modules which reflect their learning needs and learning style. There will be many opportunities within these options for students to participate in interprofessional learning with other healthcare professionals. There are a variety of formative and summative assessments across the course, including eportfolio, presentations, written assignments and OSCES. We also use an innovative teaching style called team-based learning (TBL) which helps to develop teamworking skills via active learning.

Teaching:

This program has been designed in collaboration with employers, students and service users. Pharmacists from all sectors of practice - Primary Care, Secondary Care and Community Pharmacy will have the opportunity to learn together to develop their clinical, communication and collaboration skills.

Careers:

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

Other:

The University is committed to helping students develop and enhance employability and this is an integral part of many programs. 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. Discussing options with specialist advisers helps to clarify plans through exploring options and refining skills of job-hunting. In most of our programs, there is direct input by Career Development Advisers into the curriculum or through specially arranged workshops.

£2,974 per 60 credits £2,544 for the final 60 credits to complete the MSc