PM4PYE1: Specialist Clinical Pharmacy

Module code: PM4PYE1

Module provider: Pharmacy; School of Chemistry, Food and Pharmacy

Credits: 20

Level: Level 4 (Undergraduate Masters)

When you'll be taught: Semester 2

Module convenor: Dr Nilesh Patel, email: nilesh.patel@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s): BEFORE TAKING THIS MODULE YOU MUST TAKE PM3PY1 AND TAKE PM3PY2 AND TAKE PM3PY3 (Compulsory)

Co-requisite module(s): IN THE SAME YEAR AS TAKING THIS MODULE YOU MUST TAKE PM4PY1 AND TAKE PM4PY2 AND TAKE PM4PY3 (Compulsory)

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded: IN TAKING THIS MODULE YOU CANNOT TAKE PM4PYE2 OR TAKE PM4PYE3 OR TAKE PM4PYE4 (Compulsory)

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: No

Talis reading list: Yes

Last updated: 21 May 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

This optional module will explore evolving practices in clinical pharmacy. Students will explore the evidence behind a range of specialist innovative areas and the pharmacoeconomic, safety and ethical challenges associated with each.  Students will further their learning regarding the safe and effective delivery of clinical pharmacy services across a range of pharmacy sectors, and the management of these.

This module aims to provide students with the opportunity to explore new areas in clinical pharmacy.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to:

1. Describe advances in pharmaceutical care in specialities such as: clinical nutrition, transplants and cancer, including the evolving use of precision medicines.
2. Explore advanced medication safety principles to clinical pharmacy practices within primary and secondary care.
3. Discuss NHS structure and governance systems and how new clinical pharmacy services are commissioned based upon justified local or national need.
4. Apply knowledge of how pharmacy services are designed, implemented, delivered and maintained to ensure maximal health outcomes.
5. Describe the role of pharmacoeconomics in ensuring access to novel therapies.

Module content

This module introduces students to specialist areas, which may change in content as the pharmacy profession changes and clinical care develops. Content that will be covered includes:

Managing service provision and ensuring appropriate resources to maximise benefit and minimise risk.  Responding to local health needs and priorities.  Understand how to implement change to processes and organisations. 

Specialist topics that will cover the evidence base, pharmacoeconomics, risk and ethical challenges associated with providing new and innovative therapies in the NHS. These can include nutrition, surgical care, transplant therapy, hospitals at home, virtual wards, emergency care, aseptic manufacturing and quality assurance and novel therapeutics.

Cancer and pathophysiology of metastases; resistance to chemo- and radiotherapy, emerging anti-cancer drug discovery programmes, advances in precision medicine, symptoms and their management; role of the pharmacist (primary and secondary care): polypharmacy, patient beliefs, shared decision making.

Students will also develop their ability to:

• respond to cases based on a novel therapy whilst considering evidence-based medicine, pharmacoeconomics, patient safety and ethical principles. 
• further develop their evidence-based practice skills.
• have an awareness of prescribing sustainably and recognise that medicines optimisation is an important sustainability tool that complements patient care.
• apply the science behind the practice.

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

The learning objectives will be met through a mixture of lectures, tutorials, group work, directed private study, self-directed learning, as well as simulations. Some of the lectures or tutorials will utilise a case-based learning-like approach: activities will adopt characteristics of workshops where students will engage in formative activities e.g., group work, in-class discussion, simulations. Appropriate supplementary information and reading lists will be provided.

Study hours

At least 39 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 50% to pass this module

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Formative assessment is largely based on workshop and tutorial attendance and self-directed assessment that reinforce each of the learning outcomes of the module. These will be staff, peer, or self- assessed. These assessments will provide students with feedback on their achievement of the learning outcomes and prepare them for the summative assessments.

Reassessment

Additional costs