Primary Care Pharmacy June 2000 Vol 1 No 3 p73-77

Postgraduate courses for pharmacists working in primary care

Aberdeen school of pharmacy, the Robert Gordon university

Course title - Postgraduate certificate/Postgraduate diploma/MSc in Prescribing Sciences
Type of course - Distance learning, part-time
Target audience - Healthcare professionals, particularly GPs, pharmacists and nurses
Duration of course - Certificate 9 months/Diploma 18 months/MSc 24months
Entry requirements - UK undergraduate degree in health related field + minimum of one year's post-registration experience
Qualification on completion - PgCert/PgDip/MSc
Next entry date - September, 2000
Cost - PgCert £1,450, PgDip further £1,450, MSc further £450
Contact person - Dr Derek Stewart (course leader)
Telephone - 01224 262432
Email - pharmdip@rgu.ac.uk
Content summary - Postgraduate certificate: One of four therapeutic modules + optional module in health promotion or law and ethics of prescribing + medicines resource management module + prescribing and assessment skills module.
Postgraduate diploma: Remaining therapeutics modules + optional module in pharmaceutical care planning or health promotion.
MSc: Module on health services research methods + research project.

Belfast - School of pharmacy, the Queen's University of Belfast

Course title - Postgraduate diploma/MSc in Community Pharmacy
Type of course - Distance learning
Target audience - Community pharmacists
Duration of course - Diploma 2 years, MSc 3 years
Entry requirements - Primary degree in pharmacy or equivalent from approved institution + employment as a community pharmacist
Qualification on completion - Diploma/MSc in Community Pharmacy
Next entry date - October, 2000
Cost - Diploma £1,310 for each of the 2 years, MSc further £1,135
Contact person - Brian McCaw (distance learning manager)
Telephone: 028 9027 2004
Email: b.mccaw@qub.ac.uk
Content summary - Ten self-teaching units in the form of printed booklets with tutor marked assignments including therapeutics, medicine resource management, IT, complementary medicine, financial accounting and personnel management, interpersonal skills, health promotion.
Practice based workbooks to develop skills in five specific areas of community pharmacy practice: children, elderly, diabetic, chronically ill, women's health and health promotion.
Examination at end of each academic year.

Bradford - School of pharmacy, University of Bradford

Course title - Postgraduate certificate/Postgraduate diploma/MSc in Clinical Pharmacy (Community)
Type of course - Distance learning + study days
Target audience - Pharmacists working within the primary care sector
Duration of course - Certificate 1-2 years, Diploma further 1-2 years, MSc further 1-3 years
Entry requirements - Pharmacy degree 2.2 or higher, MRPharmS
Qualification on completion - Certificate/Diploma/Masters
Next entry date - October, 2000
Cost - Certificate £1,100, Diploma a further £1,100, MSc a further £520
Contact person - Helen Cook (course director)
Telephone: 01535 651086
Email: helen.cook@group.airedale.northy.nhs.uk
Content summary - Certificate: Modules in evidence based healthcare, pain, dermatology, gastroenterology
Diploma: Modules in respiratory, endocrinology, cardiology, neurology, psychiatry. Workbook, assignment booklets + study day per module. Pharmaceutical care plans, patient management problems, audit, development and use of lifestyle questionnaire in CHD assessment. Practice based 80 per cent + exams 20 per cent

Brighton - University of Brighton in collaboration with the National Pharmaceutical Association

Course title - Postgraduate diploma/MSc in Community Pharmaceutical Health Care
Type of course - Distance learning + three residential weekends
Target audience - Community pharmacists
Duration of course - Diploma 18 months
Entry requirements - Community pharmacist with at least one year post-registration, full time experience in community practice. (priority to NPA members and employees of NPA members).
Qualification on completion - PgDip/MSc in Community Pharmaceutical Health Care
Next entry date - January, 2001
Cost - Diploma £2,450 inclusive of accommodation
Contact person - Dr R.W. Daisley
Telephone: 01273 642080
Email: r.w.daisley@brighton.ac.uk
Content summary - Diploma: Modules in general therapeutics, therapeutics in the pharmacy, assessing therapeutic outcomes, evidence based practice, the pharmacist in the primary health care team, health promotion and education.
MSc: Completion of diploma modules + research module and project.

Cardiff - Welsh school of pharmacy, Cardiff university

Course title - Postgraduate certificate/Postgraduate diploma/MSc in Community Pharmacy
Type of course - Four weekend schools per year plus home learning and practical base assessment
Target audience - Community and primary care pharmacists
Duration of course - Diploma 2 years, MSc 3 years
Entry requirements - Registration; the Royal Pharmaceutical Society
Qualification on completion - PgDip/MSc in Community Pharmacy
Next entry date - September/October, 2000
Cost - Diploma £1,050 for each of the two years, MSc further £750
Contact person - Prof D.K. Luscombe
Telephone: 029 2087 4783
Email: luscombeDK@cardiff.ac.uk
Content summary - Modules in therapeutics, medicines management, interpretation of biochemical and haematological data, PARC/PACT analysis, communication skills, business planning, health promotion + for the MSc research methods.

Derby - School of health and community studies, University of Derby

Course title - 1. Postgraduate certificate/Postgraduate diploma/MSc in Community Pharmacy
2. Doctor of Pharmacy
Type of course - 1. Distance learning, part-time
2. Distance learning, part-time
Target audience - 1. Pharmacists working in primary care
2. Pharmacists working in any sector
Duration of course - 1. Up to six years (flexible: students study at their own pace)
2. Up to six years (flexible: students study at their own pace)
Entry requirements - 1. First degree in pharmacy and professional registered
2. Masters degree in pharmacy or equivalent and professional registered
Qualification on completion - 1. pg Cert/Diploma/MSc in Community Pharmacy
2. Doctor of Pharmacy
Next entry date - 1. Entry allowed at any time
2. Entry allowed at any time
Cost - 1. £2,500 (subject to review) 2. £4,500 (subject to review)
Contact person - Dr Peter Rivers (for course 1)
Telephone: 01332 593163
Email: P.Rivers@derby.ac.uk
Name: Prof Michael Allwood (for course 2)
Telephone: 01332 593160
Email: M.C.Allwood@derby.ac.uk
Content summary - 1. Certificate: Modules include pharmacy and health policy, patient centred clinical skills, primary/secondary care issues, introduction to research methods, sociology and psychology.
Diploma: Quality issues in community pharmacy, patients management through clinical pharmacy, health psychology, financial and business management, policy analysis, qualitative research methods.
MSc: Independent study
2. Doctor of Pharmacy: Theory for practice including transferable skills research, methodology, work based professional practice, independent study.

Keele - Department of medicines management, Keele university

Course title - 1. Prescribing support in primary care, a starter course for pharmacists
2. Diploma in Advanced Therapeutics
3. Certificate in Therapeutics and Prescribing
4. Diploma in Community Pharmacy
5. National service framework workshops
Type of course - 1. Part-time, distance learning with two consecutive away-days
2. Part-time, distance learning with two or three study days in each of two years
3. Distance learning with three study days
4. Distance learning with three study days
5. Short, focused courses requiring two day's attendance
Target audience - 1. Pharmacists with little or no experience of working with GPs or PCGs
2. Pharmacists working regularly in a GP practice and to GPs
3. Community pharmacists and other pharmacists working in primary care wishing to extend their role
4. Community pharmacists and other pharmacists working in primary care wishing to extend their role
5. Practice based and PCG pharmacists and GPs
Duration of course - 1. From six weeks to 12months (flexible)
2. 21 months to diploma, further year for MSc
3. Nine months with opportunity to undertake a further year to diploma level
4. 21 months to diploma, further year for MSc
5.Two days
Entry requirements - 1. RPSGB membership
2. RPSGB membership and working regularly in a GP practice
3. RPSGB membership and working in community or other area of primary care
4. RPSGB membership and working in community or other area of primary care
5. Pharmacists working in GP practices or with PCGs
Qualification on completion - 1. Certificate (with accumulated credits towards further programmes)
2. Pg Dip/MSc in Advanced Therapeutics
3. Pg Cert in Therapeutics and Prescribing (Community Pharmacy)
4. Pg Dip in Community Pharmacy
5. Certificate of attendance
Next entry date - 1. Any time: away-days repeated March, May, September, November
2. September, 2000 (application by July 7, 2000)
3. September, 2000 (application by July 7, 2000)
4. September, 2000 (application by July 7, 2000)
5. June 28-29 and October 18-19
Cost - 1. £465 (£495 with accommodation for away-days)
2. £965 per annum (1999/2000)
3. £1,035 (1999/2000)
4. £995 per annum (1999/2000)
5. £695 including accommodation and meals
Contact person - Mrs Linda Foster (For courses 1 and 5)
Telephone: 01782 584117
Email: l.j.foster@mema.keele.ac.uk
Name: Mrs Bev Oakden (For courses 2, 3, and 4)
Telephone: 01782 585207
Email: b.oakden@mema.keele.ac.uk
Content summary - 1. Essential knowledge, skills and understanding to enable effective working with GPs and PCGs.
2. Application of clinical and behavioural knowledge and skills to the prescribing process, and applying the principles underlying rational prescribing to specific patient groups.
3. Three modules on communication skills, clinical pharmacy and pharmaceutical care, prescribing support in primary care.
4. Five core modules + one optional covering communication skills, clinical pharmacy and pharmaceutical care, prescribing support in primary care, team working in primary care, health promotion, clinical pharmacy and specific patient groups, evidence-based practice and clinical governance.

Leicester - School of pharmacy, De Montfort university

Course title - Postgraduate certificate/Postgraduate diploma/MSc in Clinical Pharmacy
Type of course - Distance learning, part-time
Target audience - Community clinical pharmacists
Duration of course - PgCert 1 year, PgDip further 1 year, MSc further 1 year
Entry requirements - PgCert degree or equivalent in Pharmacy, Pg Dip registration with RPSGB and regular access to practice base
Qualification on completion - PgCert/ Pg Dip/MSc
Next entry date - March, 2001
Cost - PgCert £1,100, PgDip further £1,350, MSc further £1,300 (+ VAT)
Contact person - Dr D M Collett
Telephone: 0116 257 7275
Email: sascpd@dmu.ac.uk
Content summary - Certificate: Modules in therapeutics.
Diploma: Clinical skills, primary health care team and clinical interventions, care in the community and clinical interviews, formularies and audit, case presentations and workshops.
MSc: Research in pharmacy practice + research project.

Liverpool - School of pharmacy, John Moores university

Course title - Postgraduate diploma/MSc in Pharmaceutical Primary Care
Type of course - Part-time, flexible attendance
Target audience - Community pharmacists, any size organisation, including locum pharmacists
Duration of course - PgDip 2 years part-time, MSc further 1 year part-time
Entry requirements - Registered pharmacist with equivalent of two year's pharmacy practice based experience
Qualification on completion - PgDip/MSc
Next entry date - January, 2001
Cost - £995 per year (subject to small increase in 2001) (+ VAT)
Contact person - Dr Ian Cubbin or Dr Jean Fairbrother
Telephone: 0151 231 2291/2067
Email: i.cubbin@livjm.ac.uk or j.fairbrother@livjm.ac.uk
Content summary - Designed to develop knowledge and skills built on experience gained in the workplace. Advanced therapeutics studied with hospital pharmacists to encourage exchange of ideas and opinions and facilitate development of protocols for seamless care. Exploration of characteristics of an effective team, evaluation of working practices and alternative approaches to health care. Research methodology, advanced therapeutics, ability to integrate into the primary health care team.

Liverpool - Department of pharmacology and therapeutics, University of Liverpool and National Prescribing Centre

Course title - Postgraduate certificate/Postgraduate diploma/MSc in Pharmaceutical Prescribing Sciences
Type of course - Distance learning, part-time
Target audience - Health authority advisers, PCG/PCT/practice pharmacists, GP prescribing leads
Duration of course - Certificate/Diploma three semesters (about 15months) MSc additional two semesters
Entry requirements - Pharmacy or medical degree, and relevent experience in drug information, community pharmacy or prescribing support
Qualification on completion - Pg Cert/PgDip/MSc in Prescribing Science
Next entry date - September, 2000 (applications by mid-July)
Cost - Certificate £1,500, Diploma £2,400, MSc £1,500 (added to diploma)
Contact person - Ms B. O'Neill
Telephone: 0151 794 8111
Email: b.oneill@liv.ac.uk
Content summary - Certificate: Three modules on therapeutics + one optional
Diploma: Three modules on therapeutics + five optional or three optional + research project. Options include psychology and sociology of prescribing, pharmacoepidemiology, health economics, clinical governance and prescribing, prescribing policy in context, management of NHS funds and prescribing.
MSc: Module on research skills + substantial research project

London - Department of pharmacy, Kings College

Course title - Postgraduate diploma and MSc in Community and Primary Care Pharmacy
Type of course - Part-time
Target audience - Community pharmacists/health authority advisers/primary care pharmacists
Duration of course - Diploma one year, MSc a further year
Entry requirements - MPharm/BPharm
Qualification on completion - PgDip/MSc
Next entry date - September, 2000
Cost - Diploma £1,340, MSc £2,680 (modules can be taken individually)
Contact person - Dr L. I. Goodyer
Telephone: 020 7848 4831
Email: larry.goodyer@kcl.ac.uk
Content summary - Diploma: Modules in clinical pharmacy, working with primary health care professionals (clinical governance, formulary management, prescribing support, repeat prescribing, PACT analysis, audit), evidence based practice, patient centred services.
MSc: Additional research project.

Manchester - School of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences, Manchester university

Course title - Postgraduate diploma in Clinical and Health Services Pharmacy
Type of course - Part-time attendance for 48 study days over two years
Target audience - Pharmacists providing prescribing support in primary care
Duration of course - Two years, part time
Entry requirements - First degree in pharmacy
Qualification on completion - Diploma in Clinical Health Services Pharmacy
Next entry date - September, 2000
Cost - £1,338 per annum
Contact person - Ms J. A. Cantrill (clinical senior lecturer)
Telephone: 0161 275 2413
Email: cantrill@fs1.pa.man.ac.uk
Content summary - Four modules covering clinical pharmacy and therapeutics I, medicines management and practice research, clinical pharmacy and therapeutics II, social and economic issues in health care.

Nottingham - School of pharmacy the University of Nottingham

Course title - Pharmacy Practice Enhancement Programme
Type of course - Internet based distance learning, part-time
Target audience - Primary care and community pharmacists
Duration of course - Pg Dip two years, MSc three years.
Entry requirements - Practising pharmacist
Qualification on completion - Pg Dip, MSc
Next entry date - Autumn, 2000
Cost - To be decided
Contact person - Dr Claire Anderson
Telephone: 0115 951 5389
Email: Claire.Anderson@Nottingham.ac.uk
Content summary - See www.nottingham.ac.uk/pharmacy/vspp

Portsmouth - School of pharmacy and biomedical sciences, University of Portsmouth

Course title - Postgraduate certificate/Postgraduate diploma/MSc in Community Pharmacy
Type of course - Distance learning plus eight study days at university per year
Target audience - Community pharmacists in current practice
Duration of course - Pg Cert one year, Pg Dip two years, MSc three years
Entry requirements - MRPharmS, community practice base
Qualification on completion - PgCert, PgDip, MSc
Next entry date - September, 2000
Cost - Pg Cert £800, PgDip £1,000, MSc £1,000
Contact person - Dr Jane Portlock (course leader)
Telephone: 023 9284 3589
Email: jane.portlock@port.ac.uk
Content summary - Certificate: Clinical skills for community pharmacy practice, communication studies, therapeutics, response to symptoms.
Diploma: Advanced therapeutics, health promotion, pharmacy practice in primary care.
MSc: Strategic and professional development, research methods, research project.

Sunderland - School of sciences, University of Sunderland

Course title - Postgraduate diploma/MSc in Clinical Pharmacy
Type of course - Part-time
Target audience - Community pharmacists
Duration of course - Two to three years
Entry requirements - Degree in Pharmacy
Qualification on completion - Diploma/MSc in Clinical Pharmacy
Next entry date - October, 2000
Cost - £2,000 (approx)
Contact person - Dr Rae Morgan
Telephone: 0191 515 2612
Email: rae.morgan@sunderland.ac.uk
Content summary - Therapeutics I & II: Lectures by consultant clinicians on major diseases
Clinical Skills - Assessment of practical skills and interpretation of clinical data.
Clinical Clerkship - Primary care base