Medicines Use Review online course for HEIW

Academics at the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences have converted a CPD course from face-to-face provision to online, allowing delegates to attend during the pandemic.

Background

HEIW (Health Education and Improvement Wales) initially commissioned this one-day face-to-face Medicines Use Review (MUR) course for pre-registration pharmacists.

Medicines Use Review (MUR) aims to make the best use of the skills of pharmacists and to provide patients with access to pharmacists’ expertise in order to address their specific medication needs.

The School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences and HEIW collaborated to develop this training and assessment course for pharmacists to accredit them for MUR provision. It was primarily created for pre-registration pharmacists and pharmacists registered with the GPhC who wish to practice MUR.

The course ran successfully in July 2019, and plans were underway for the July 2020 intake when the global Covid-19 pandemic occurred. We therefore worked to convert the course to an online version, with a blend of pre-recorded and live teaching via Zoom.

The programme

The face-to-face training was designed to guide delegates through the process of conducting a MUR, helping them to develop the knowledge and skills required to achieve competency. Areas of learning included:

• Adaptation of a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for conducting MUR in the workplace
• Work-through of a practice MUR case
• Two simulated MURs with a patient actor, accompanied by completion of a reflective therapeutic and consultation skills framework
• Creating a reflective account of the learning process (CPD entry & Action Plan) to illustrate how competency has been achieved.

The assessment consists of, in addition to these formative exercises, two problem-solving case studies, completed on the day and submitted for marking. Satisfactory completion of the assessment will result in full accreditation.

In order to adapt the training day to online provision, we worked with colleagues at the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, providing access to Learning Central to host pre-recorded presentations and reading materials. We identified areas of the course that would be best suited to pre-recorded learning materials, and which should be delivered live via Zoom.

20 delegates took part; we provided them with access to learning materials one week before the live session in order to allow enough time to absorb the content. Dr Rowan Yemm and Vicky Cornelius from the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences then led a 1/2 day live Zoom session. We used Zoom functions such as breakout rooms to ensure delegates still benefited from an interactive and engaging environment. The Zoom session also included activities with actors in order to simulate certain MUR cases.

We were in continual contact with HEIW throughout the planning process, to ensure they were happy with converting the course to online, and that learning outcomes would not be unduly affected.

Outcomes and impact

We successfully collaborated with internal colleagues to convert the face-to-face course into a highly successful online version of the programme. There was no delay for delegates, and no drop in learning outcomes. Delegates who passed the course will be accredited to provide the MUR service.

We are hoping to run a similar course in the future, and discussions are ongoing about other CPD opportunities within the School.

Dr Rowan Yemm, Lecturer, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences commented:

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