Professional Development for Pharmacy Practitioners (MSc)

Professional Development for Pharmacy Practitioners (MSc)

Part time blended learning

Why study this course

This course gives you the flexibility to undertake the full MSc in Professional Development for Pharmacy Practitioners or to study modules on a standalone basis.

Our MSc Professional Development for Pharmacy Practitioners has been designed to support the development needs of pharmacists and other pharmacy practitioners e.g. pharmacy technicians. Our School is internationally renowned for the outstanding quality of our teaching and research. Undertaking the Professional Development programme at Cardiff University means studying at one of the top schools of Pharmacy in the UK.

The programme will support you to develop the knowledge, skills and professional values and behaviours required by pharmacy practitioners to effectively contribute to the provision of medicines related healthcare. It will enable you to address complex health-related challenges faced by patients and the population. It will develop in you, a comprehensive understanding and critical awareness of your role in a changing healthcare environment.

As professionals leading, managing, and developing diverse roles within healthcare, our programme has been designed to support a wide range of pharmacy practitioners, from newly registered professionals to those with more experience working at a senior level. All modules will be available for pharmacists registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council/Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland; many modules will be available for other practitioners e.g. pharmacy technicians who wish to advance their knowledge base and specialist skills.

Several learning and teaching approaches are employed depending upon the learning outcomes for the modules you select e.g. some require face-to-face study days whereas others are delivered through e-learning.

You’ll be taught all of this by our team of world-leading academic staff, and pharmacist and healthcare practitioners who have an extensive range of expertise. We ranked joint first School of Pharmacy nationally in the most recent Research Excellence Framework. This is a direct result of the quality, and cutting-edge nature of our research projects.

Our programme has been designed with in-built flexibility to allow you to undertake modules that fit into your professional and personal circumstances. There are two main study routes:

Study Route 1: Obtaining the full MSc in Professional Development for Pharmacy Practitioners (180 credits)

You will have a maximum period of 7 years to complete the programme including the Master’s dissertation. You will study a range of modules that you select that support your professional practice. Some years you may decide not to complete any modules. This will give you the greatest flexibility to tailor your study to your learning requirements

Study route 2: Stand-alone modules

If you do not wish to enrol directly on the programme you can study modules on a stand-alone basis up to a maximum of 60 credits each year. For each successfully completed module, you will receive a transcript annually detailing the credits achieved. As you accumulate credits, you may wish to consider completing the remaining credits and transferring to Study route 1 to receive an award i.e. Certificate (60 credits), Diploma (120 credits) or MSc (180 credits).

Transfer to study route 1 must occur before you have gained the required number of credits for the award i.e. you cannot retrospectively apply for an award from stand-alone modules.

Please note that this programme is not a pharmacy conversion course. It does not lead to full professional registration with the GPhC/PSNI, and it does not qualify you to practice in the UK.

Distinctive features

Our highly versatile and flexible MSc programme has been designed “by practitioners for practitioners” to help you acquire and develop the knowledge, skills and competencies to support your autonomous practice and career development in healthcare. Here are some of the programme’s key features:

• The School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences has enjoyed over 100 years of excellence in teaching and research, and we have a rich history of running postgraduate taught professional programmes for healthcare professionals to support their development.
• The programme allows you to complete, over a period of 7 years, providing flexibility in the number of modules you study each year to align with your personal and professional practice.
• As there are no core modules; the range of modules available allows you to customise your studies to your personal and professional development needs.
• Aside from being taught by an academic team that carry out cutting-edge, world-leading, research, 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.
• Different methods of learning and assessments are employed throughout the programme to support a diverse range of learner needs and all modules provide you with the opportunity to explore relevant topics by engaging critically with the literature and your peers.
• Not only will you have support from your Personal Tutor, but you’ll also be able to get advice from module leaders and the Programme Director to help you successfully navigate your academic journey.

Accreditations

• General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)

Professional Development for Pharmacy Practitioners (MSc)

Part time blended learning

Careers and placements

This course will enable you to advance your career, clinically and academically, taking you to the forefront of the profession, and enhancing your personal and professional development. Pharmacists eligible to undertake the Pharmacist Independent Prescribing module within the programme can be annotated to the GPhC/PSNI register on successful completion of the module.

Please note that this Master's degree does not lead to full professional registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)/PSNI, and it does not serve as a conversion course allowing you to practice as a Pharmacist. If this is what you would like to do, you will need to contact the GPhC directly for advice

Placements

Some modules have experiential learning components.  It is your responsibility to organise this when required.