MSc Clinical Pharmacy

Why this course?

This course is ideal for non-UK qualified pharmacists wanting to develop clinical skills to deliver ‘pharmaceutical care’. The course also provides foundations in health service research and will benefit Pharmacists working in hospital or community practice. You will receive advanced training in the practice of pharmacy, to enable you to deliver optimum pharmaceutical care, and become a safer and more effective practitioner. You'll be taught predominately by pharmacists registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC).

Please note the MSc Clinical Pharmacy is not an advanced masters programme and does not result in a qualification allowing graduates to register in the UK as a Pharmacist. The course is primarily aimed at overseas pharmacists with limited existing clinical pharmacy experience. Content covered on the course is comparable to that delivered in the MPharm Pharmacy degree. 

What you’ll study

The course content includes:

• learning in key clinical therapeutic areas including respiratory, cardiac, oncology, inflammatory disease, antimicrobials and mental health
• application of laboratory tests and their relevance in identification and monitoring of disease and drug therapy
• principles and practice of therapeutic drug monitoring
• oral communication and problem-solving communication in clinical settings
• concepts in Quality Improvement (QI) and service re-design
• reflective practice
• application of research methods in health service research
• a research project

Learning & teaching

The course is delivered as workshops and tutorials as small group teaching, with some sessions delivered by senior pharmacists working in NHS Scotland.

Bedside teaching on NHS premises is not available on this course, including opportunities for placements/shadowing of NHS staff.

Assessment

Each element is assessed by a series of assignments based on your clinical evaluations. This includes written reports in the form of medicines information queries, developing pharmaceutical care plans and more traditional exam type assessments that are completed in short answer format based upon clinical scenarios.