Postgraduate Taught

As our School name suggests, Medicines Management has been at the top of our agenda since its inception in the early 1990s. Now it is at the top of the national pharmacy agenda. ‘Pharmacy in the future’, ‘A vision for pharmacy’ and the pharmacy white paper, ‘Pharmacy in England – Building on strengths, delivering the future’ all present exciting opportunities for pharmacists.

Keele’s Postgraduate Community Pharmacy Programme aims to:

• Provide you with a broad view of the issues relevant to pharmacy practice and medicines management in community pharmacy and primary care
• Equip you with the clinical and professional knowledge base and skills necessary to fulfil and extend your role in community pharmacy and primary care
• Provide you with a structured learning programme that will help you apply your knowledge and skills in daily practice
• Encourage you to develop the self-discipline of private study and self-directed learning that will be continued beyond Keele’s Programme in your Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

In addition, you will develop valuable practical skills including written and oral communication, and the ability to design a project, collect, analyse and interpret data.

These courses are suitable for pharmacists who are working full time or part-time in community practice or primary care. Although principally distance learning courses, the requirements for attendance at study days and the fact that the courses focus on the UK health system normally make them unsuitable for pharmacists who are not resident and working in the UK.

At Keele we offer a number of flexible options for you to achieve a postgraduate award that is relevant to you if you are working in Community Pharmacy practice. All courses are delivered by distance learning. Some options also include the Independent Prescribing Preparatory Course.

Course for Pharmacists

1. Fixed Pathway to Certificate, Diploma and MSc Awards

You would choose this pathway to study for the following awards:

• Certificate in Public Health

Community Pharmacy
Community Pharmacy 1 course – includes 3 CPD Plus+ modules:
Communication and Consultation Skills, Clinical Pharmacy for Medicines Management (1) and Promoting Health through Community Pharmacy

• Diploma in Community Pharmacy

Community Pharmacy 2 course – includes Community Pharmacy 1 course plus 3 CPD Plus+ modules:
Working with Prescribers in Primary Care, Clinical Pharmacy for Medicines Management (2) and Developing and Delivering
High Quality Services

• MSc in Community Pharmacy Professional MSc course – includes Community Pharmacy 1 and 2 courses plus 3 modules: Research Methods, Advanced Practice Development, Independent Study Project

The modules leading to each award are shown above.

They are all compulsory with fixed learning outcomes and course content.

2. Open Learn Pathway to Certificate, Diploma and MSc Awards

You would choose this pathway to study for the following awards:

• Certificate in Community Pharmacy (Open Learn)
• Diploma in Community Pharmacy (Open Learn)
• MSc in Community Pharmacy (Open Learn)
• Professional MSc course – includes the Diploma in Community Pharmacy (Open Learn) plus 3 modules: Research Methods, Advanced Practice Development, Independent Study Project

This is a flexible pathway that allows you to choose the modules that you study for the Certificate and Diploma awards using options from the CPD Plus+ and CPD Plus+ Open Learn portfolio.

Community Pharmacists can choose from the options shown below.

The 5 credit CPD Plus+ options are particularly relevant if you are involved in providing a prescribing advice service to a GP practice. The 3 modules for the MSc are compulsory.

Postgraduate Course and Module Options – Community Pharmacy Programme

Open Learn Pathway (all courses and modules are available to study as stand-alone).

CPD Plus+ 5-credit courses:

• Managing Angina*
• Managing Asthma and COPD*
• Managing Depression*
• Managing Diabetes*
• Treating Individuals*
• Managing Dyspepsia*
• Managing Heart Failure*
• Managing Hypertension*
• Managing Infections*
• Managing Joint Diseases*
• Managing Osteoporosis*
• Managing Palliative Care*
• Managing Substance Misuse*
• Managing Women’s Health*
• Rational Prescribing*
• Communication and Consultation Skills*
• Patient-Prescriber Partnerships in Medicines Taking*
• Developing Your Skills in Critical Appraisal*
• Evidence-Based Practice and Clinical Governance*
• Ethical Issues in Health care and Prescribing*
• PACT in Practice*
• Licensing and Drug Development*
• Hazards of Drug Use*
• Monitoring Treatment*
• Pharmacology and Biochemistry*
• Adv Practice Development (PhwSI) 15C
• Independent Prescribing (45 credits)

CPD Plus+ Open Learn Modules
*Available as 5, 10, 15 and 30-credit options

CPD Plus+ 15-credit courses:

• Communication and Consultation Skills*
• Clinical Pharmacy for Medicines Management 1*
• Clinical Pharmacy for Medicines Management 2*
• Promoting Health through Community Pharmacy*
• Working with Prescribers in Primary Care*
• Developing and Delivering High Quality Services
• Public Health Community Pharmacy (60 credits)
• Independent Prescribing (45 credits)

Advanced Practice Development (Pharmacists with Special Interests PhwSI) (15 credits)

CPD Plus+ Open Learn Modules
*Available as 30-credit options (depending on the topic chosen)

CPD Plus+ Open Learn modules allow you to negotiate the learning outcomes of the module with your Keele tutor, within the
requirements that are necessary for a 5, 10, 15 or 30-credit module.

For example, you may wish to focus your studies for the Open Learn Certificate Award on developing your clinical knowledge and skills in relation to medicines management beyond that of the 15 credit CPD Plus+ fixed content module. In this case, you may choose to do so by negotiating a 30-credit Open Learn version of the module with your tutor as part of the overall
60 credits that you require for the Certificate in Community Pharmacy (Open Learn).

3. Pathway to Diploma and MSc awards that includes Independent Prescribing

You would choose this pathway to study for the following awards:

• Diploma in Community Pharmacy (Independent Prescribing)
• MSc in Community Pharmacy (Independent Prescribing)
• Professional MSc course – includes the Diploma in Community Pharmacy (IP) plus 3 modules: Research Methods, Advanced Practice Development, Independent Study Project.

This is a flexible pathway that allows you to incorporate the Independent Prescribing Preparatory Course for Pharmacists
(IP-1) within the Community Pharmacy Diploma and MSc academic awards. You can achieve this by either first completing
one of the Certificate courses described in 1 or 2 opposite and then the IP-1 course plus a further 15 credits from the CPD Plus+/CPD Plus+ Open Learn options in the table, or vice versa, to gain the Diploma in Community Pharmacy (Independent Prescribing).

The 3 modules leading to the MSc are compulsory.

Registration Options

Our flexible approach to study offers you the following options:

1. Apply for a named award route

Please note that some courses have a fixed content and for others a Keele tutor will help you select modules.

2. Apply on a module-by-module basis, under CPD Plus+ and CPD Plus+ Open Learn.

If you register in this way, Keele will keep a record of your achievements and inform you of your award options as you progress
through your studies. If you have any questions on the pathways, or need other information, please
contact us:

Bev Oakden: 01782 734207
b.oakden@keele.ac.uk

Dr Lizzie Mills: 01782 734207
e.r.mills@keele.ac.uk