Professional Development for Pharmacy Practitioners (MSc)

How will I be taught?

The School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences is committed to developing the knowledge, skills and competencies needed for healthcare professionals to improve health outcomes and health care for patients. You’ll be taught by an expert academic team who carry out cutting-edge, world-leading, research and you’ll also get to learn from expert practitioners drawn from across a range of health and social care settings who’ll give you a thorough understanding of contemporary and developing practice. 

The programme is part time blended learning however, each module will have specific requirements.  Most modules are delivered by distance learning with online study days (usually via Microsoft Teams) and therefore you can access these modules from anywhere in the world as a member of the international healthcare professional community.  Some modules however are delivered by blended learning that may involve face-to-face study days, experiential learning, e-learning, on-line workshops or action-learning sets.  Where modules incorporate face-to-face workshops, these will be delivered in person at Cardiff in our own Redwood Building, named after the first Professor of Pharmacy in the UK.

Throughout all modules, there is an emphasis on identifying your specific learning needs to direct your independent study and to ensure the teaching and assessment of each module are relevant to your practice.  We believe collaboration with your peers enhances learning and therefore we try to use multiple approaches to build a community of practice.

How will I be assessed?

The assessment methods vary depending on the modules chosen and their learning outcomes. Assessments are designed to measure professional, academic and/or practice.  All modules include formative assessments (assessments which do not count towards the module mark) which are intended to provide you with feedback and an indication of your progress. 

Examples of summative assessments (assessments which count towards the module mark) include portfolios, oral presentations, objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs), written assignments such as posters, patient management problems, reflective assignments and analytical reviews.  Where there is an experiential practice component of the module, an assessment of your performance by your Practice Supervisor or Designated Prescribing Practitioner (DPP) may be undertaken.  These Practice Supervisors and DPPs are trained, supported and guided by the University academic staff. For the MSc 60 credit module (dissertation), a research project is completed in a specific area that meets your professional development.

Attendance at Cardiff University will be required for the OSCE in the Pharmacist Independent Prescribing module. The OSCE can be assessed through the medium of Welsh.

You will receive regular constructive feedback throughout the module, to stimulate enthusiasm and provide support. Feedback on your work may be in a variety of formats, including oral feedback and electronic written feedback on assessed coursework.  The opportunity to understand and use feedback constructively will also be provided through meeting with the module leader or personal tutor if required.

How will I be supported?

Personal Tutor

You will be assigned a personal tutor, who is usually a member of the school’s academic team. The personal tutor system is a vital and central part of student support within the school. The role of the personal tutor is to monitor overall academic progress and to provide pastoral support, acting where appropriate as the first point of contact and a gateway to the student support services provided by the University (including the Careers Service, the Counselling Service, the Disability and Dyslexia Service, the Student Support Service). Your personal tutor will guide you to combinations of modules or study routes that suit your professional development requirements and personal circumstances.  Your personal tutor will support you to review your module portfolio annually, the remaining timeframe for completion of an award and the options available to you, to help you plan your studies.

The Programme Director and module leaders are also available to answer your questions and address any difficulties you may have with your studies.  Specific times will be advertised for students to contact module leaders and Programme Directors.

Resources

At the beginning of your programme there is a compulsory online induction day. This will help you find your way around the University’s virtual learning environment, Microsoft TEAMS and will also provide general information including about the personal tutor system, and how our administration and IT teams will support you. The virtual learning environment and TEAMS are accessible via desktop and mobile devices, allowing you to access relevant multimedia material, presentations, workshop handouts, bibliographies, further links, electronic exercises etc. from anywhere.

The University library is available year-round. Staff are available to assist you and provide support and advice. The library holds many electronic journals and e-books that you will be able to access to help you with your studies.

The University offers a range of support services and events to help you manage your emotional, mental, and physical health, support with financial issues, and provide support for students with disabilities.  They can be accessed both in-person at the University’s Centre for Student Life, or remotely via the contact details provided on the Student Intranet.

Feedback on assessments

We will provide you with frequent feedback on your work. This comes in a variety of formats including formative feedback as well as through written comments on coursework (see How will I be assessed?).

Student-Feedback to the Programme Team

At the beginning of each year, a Student Academic Representative is appointed for the programme from amongst the students.  This representative will be invited to sit on the Student-Staff panels and attend the Board of Studies.  The Programme Director will meet with the representative each semester; the representative will be encouraged to gain feedback from their fellow students to feed into this meeting. This may include feedback on module content, as well as support provided.

In addition, there will be a system e.g. Padlet set up for the programme, where students can leave comments for the Programme Team.

What skills will I practise and develop?

Learning Outcomes for this Programme describe what you will be able to do because of your study at Cardiff University. They will help you to understand what is expected of you. The learning outcomes for this programme can be found below.

On successful completion of the MSc in Professional Development for Pharmacy Practitioners you will be able to demonstrate:

Knowledge & Understanding:

• Demonstrate a conceptual understanding of the governance, management, and leadership of health and social care services and systems in the UK and globally identifying how change is effectively implemented
• Critically evaluate the use of quality improvement and research methods used in healthcare and the ethical and organisational issues relevant to their application in practice
• Independently, critically analyse the integration and application of the underpinning sciences with that support clinical and evidence-based practice.
• Demonstrate a systematic understanding of person-centred care that promotes patient health and well-being by maximising the therapeutic benefit from medicines and meets all current legal, ethical and professional requirements

Intellectual Skills

• Demonstrate the ability to independently work as a self-reflective practitioner, who acts within their own competencies, takes personal responsibility for their actions, and simultaneously considers the social, clinical and cultural context of their decisions
• Critically analyse and interpret data derived from observations, policies, and practice to inform practice.   
• Identify and apply appropriate problems solving and communication skills, including influencing, reasoning, persuasion, and negotiation to different audiences
• Research, analyse, and apply primary sources of literature to develop detailed reasoned arguments, hypotheses, and decisions. 

Professional Practical Skills

• Demonstrate the ability to work independently and collaboratively with patients, families, and other health and social care professionals in a range of settings and scenarios
• Identify ethical responsibilities when delivering appropriate health-related shared decision-making that respects the rights, culture, spiritual needs and preferences of patients
• Communicate effectively, sharing ideas and arguments in manners appropriate to both specialist and non-specialist audiences.
• Demonstrate an ability to critically evaluate leadership and change management skills and approaches to support effective teamwork and daily practice.

Transferable/Key Skills

• Apply advanced problem-solving and decision-making skills, employing critical judgement and creativity to address complex issues and challenges within the pharmacy profession.
• Identify and apply effective self-management and personal resilience strategies to address the challenges of coping with uncertainty
• Autonomously plan and direct your own learning managing your workload effectively to meet deadlines. 
• Collaborate effectively by demonstrating teamwork and professionalism, respecting different contributions or perspectives, and able to resolve conflicts in a reasonable, negotiated manner
• Demonstrate intellectual curiosity, independent critical thinking and an ability to express ideas effectively, communicating clearly both orally and in writing, using a variety of media.