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• Undergraduate study:
• Courses
• Order a prospectus
• How to apply
• Information for applicants
• Why choose Kingston University
• Disability and mental health support
• Accommodation
• Undergraduate fees
• Fees, funding and payments
• Access, participation and inclusion

Introduction to Pharmacy Practice

• Module code: PY4120
• Year: 2018/9
• Level: 4
• Credits: 30
• Pre-requisites: None
• Co-requisites: None

Summary

This module is core for students of the Foundation Degree in Pharmaceutical and Chemical Sciences. It is intended to form an introduction to pharmacy as a profession by considering its standing in the NHS and introducing the roles of the pharmacist. It provides an introduction to the legal and ethical aspects of the practice of pharmacy in the UK. Throughout the module you will develop a number of the core skills required for pharmacy practice including professionalism, IT skills, oral and written communication and numeracy.

Aims

• To understand the structure and function of the National Health Service (NHS), the role of hospital, and community pharmacies, and the role of the pharmacist as a professional involved in patient care
• To provide knowledge and understanding of the laws and ethics relating to pharmacy.
• To develop key skills essential for pharmacy practice.

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:

• Describe the structure of the NHS, the role of hospital and community pharmacies and pharmacists in providing care and services for patients
• Demonstrate key skills in IT and computing, pharmaceutical calculations, information extraction and communication.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the law governing the sale and supply of medicines, including the Medicines Act, licensing system, legal categories of medicines, and the wholesale supply of Prescription Only Medicines (POMs), emergency supply of POMs, and the retail sale of pharmacy medicines.
• Discuss the principles of dispensing, compounding and good practice (including labelling) and apply these principles in practical classes
• Demonstrate knowledge of the General Pharmaceutical Council's Standards for pharmacy professionals as applied to the profession of pharmacy

Curriculum content

• The structure and function of the NHS.
• The origins of pharmacy; the 'professionalisation' of pharmacy; pharmacy in the NHS; the pharmacy workforce; pharmacists' extended roles
• Commissioning and delivery of pharmaceutical services within the community.
• Numeracy skills appropriate to pharmacy practice: concentrations, dilutions, formulations
• Introduction to the different routes of administration of medicinal products and their advantages and disadvantages. Introduction to the types and uses of different dosage forms for patient
• Good dispensing practice: procedures, cleanliness, equipment, and basic manipulative techniques. Commonly used vehicles, excipients, and shelf life. Labelling of dispensed products
• Introduction to sources of information including pharmacopoeial standards for medicinal substances, the British National Formulary (BNF) and Medicines, Ethics and Practice Guide (MEP) substances,
• Legal categories of medicines (GSL, P, POM and CD)
• Exemptions from the controls on retail sale and supply
• The rules governing the labelling of medicinal products
• Workshop/tutorial classes to demonstrate understanding of: the licensing system, GSL, P and POM medicines, the legal status of aspirin and paracetamol, wholesale supply of POMs, the emergency supply of POMs, code of ethics (10) service specification on the sale of pharmacy medicines, personal control.
• Introduction to types of prescribers, types of prescriptions, Patient Group Directions.
• Marketing authorisations for medicines, unlicensed/off-label use and clinical trials.
• Prescription charges and prescription pricing, the drug tariff
• The pharmacy workforce, roles and responsibilities.
• Information on the organisation and roles of the GPhC and Royal Pharmaceutical Society ( RPS)
• The GPhC's standards for pharmacy professionals as applied to pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and pharmacy students.

Teaching and learning strategy

Lectures provide the background information that will be further developed in practicals and tutorials, while workshops will be used to develop the essential skills required of a pharmacist. Group discussions provide an important aspect of this module for the consideration of the roles, responsibilities and ethical behaviours required of pharmacy staff as well as developing verbal communication, reasoning and negotiation skills. There are opportunities for developing written communication skills through personal development aspects and coursework.

Breakdown of Teaching and Learning Hours

Assessment strategy

A range of formative assessments undertaken both in-class (workshop and practical) and during independent study, of relatively short duration will be set periodically on content determined by the module leader.

On-going discussion via the personal tutor and module leader will assist the student in the development of strategies for improvement and enhancement.

There will be a scientific writing report coursework assignment to develop both knowledge and key skills, including literature searching, analysis and review of that literature and written communication skills.  

An in module assessment comprising of both open and closed book sections will be used to determine student progress as well as give them reflection on their strengths and weaknesses to date. Feedback will be provided and this should be used by students to feed forward to the end of module exam.

The final summative assessment is a three hour end of module examination.

There will be three sections (A, B and C) in the end of module examination:

• Section A will consist of 60 multiple choice questions. ALL questions must be answered from this section. Within the MCQ section there will be a number of calculations questions.
• Section B will consist of SIX questions. FOUR questions must be answered from this section.
• Section C will consist of TWO questions. ONE question must be answered from this section.

The end of module exam is worth 40% of the module marks.

Mapping of Learning Outcomes to Assessment Strategy (Indicative)

Elements of Assessment

Achieving a pass

It IS NOT a requirement that any element of assessment is passed separately in order to achieve an overall pass for the module. All students are subject to Fitness to Practice regulations in addition to the University Students Disciplinary procedures. To progress onto level 5 MPharm, students must pass both the module and end of module exam component of each module.

Bibliography core texts

You will need to have a copy of one of these:

• Community Pharmacy: Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment, Paul Rutter. Churchill Livingstone (2008). ISBN 0702029955
• Symptoms in the Pharmacy: A Guide to the Management of Common Illness (6^th Ed), Blenkinsopp, Paxton and Blenkinsopp. Wiley Publishing (2008), ISBN 9781405122221

• Introduction to Pharmaceutical Calculations, Judith A Rees, Ian Smith and Brian Smith. 2^nd edition. Pharmaceutical Press (2005). ISBN 0853696039
• Pharmaceutical Calculations Workbook, Rees, J.A., Smith, I, Pharmaceutical Press. (2005 ISBN 0853696020
• MCQs in Pharmaceutical Calculations. Ryan F Donnelly, Johanne Barry 1^st edition Pharmaceutical Press (2009) ISBN 9780853698364
• Minor illness or major disease (4^th edition), Edwards and Stillman, Pharmaceutical Press (2006). ISBN 978 0 85369 627 8
• FASTtrack: Managing Symptoms in the Pharmacy
  (1^st edition) Alan Nathan, Pharmaceutical Press (2007). ISBN 9780853697275
• British National Formulary, latest edition, edited by Dinesh K Mehta. Pharmaceutical Press. ISBN 0 85369 556 3
• Dale and Appelbe's Pharmacy Law and Ethics (Ninth edition), Gordon E Appelbe, and Joy Wingfield. Pharmaceutical Press (2009). ISBN: 978-0-85369-872
• Pharmacy Practice, Eds. Kevin M.G. Taylor & Geoffrey Harding, Taylor & Francis, London. 2001 ISBN 0 415 27159 2
• Medicines, Ethics & Practice: The professional guide for pharmacists, (Latest Edition). Pharmaceutical Press (the latest edition can be found on the RPS website.
• The British Pharmacopoeia 2012, G. B. Medicines Commission. The Stationary Office. ISBN 978-0113228-690 - available online
• Pharmaceutical Practice (Fourth edition), A. J. Winfield, and R. M. E Richards. Churchill Livingstone (2009)
• British National Formulary, Latest Edition, edited by Dinesh K Mehta. Pharmaceutical Press. (Most recent version is also available on their website).

Bibliography recommended reading

• Non-prescription medicines (Second edition), Alan Nathan. Pharmaceutical Press (2006). ISBN 0853696446
• Practical exercises in pharmacy law and ethics (Second revised edition), Gordon E Appelbe, Joy Wingfield, and Lindsay M Taylor. Pharmaceutical Press (2006). ISBN 0 85369 522 9
• Complementary therapies for pharmacists, Steven B Kayne. Pharmaceutical Press (2002). ISBN 0 85369 430 3
• Dietary supplements (Second edition), Pamela Mason. Pharmaceutical Press (2007). ISBN 0 85369 459 1
• The Good Study Guide, Andrew Northedge (Second Revised Edition). Open University Worldwide (2005). ISBN 0 7492 59744
• Communication Skills in Pharmacy Practice: a Practical Guide for Students and Practitioners (Fifth Edition), William Tindall, Robert S Beardsley. Carole L Kimberlin. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins (2002), ISBN: 0 781765986
• The Pharmaceutical Journal
• Blackstone's Pharmacy Law and Practice, Kenneth Mullan. Blackstone Press (2002). ISBN 1 85431 940 X
• Evidence Based Practice, Ed. C. Bond, Pharmaceutical Press (2000) ISBN: 978 0 85369 436 6