PM1PP1-Pharmacy Practice I

Module Provider: Pharmacy, School of Chem, Food and Nutr Sci, and Pharm
Number of credits: 20 [10ECTS credits]
Level: 4
Terms in which taught: Autumn and Spring
Module Convenor: Ms SE Weston
Pre-requisites:
Co-requisites: PM1PB2 PM1DS1 PM1PH1
Modules excluded:
Module version for: 2009/0

Email: S.E.Weston@reading.ac.uk

Aims:
To introduce Care Systems and Public Health and the developing role of the pharmacist. The importance of communication with patients will be emphasised and the essential elements of communication skills will be identified. The concepts of Clinical Governance and Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) will be introduced as will those of adherence, compliance, and concordance in health-care provision. The need for a patient-centred approach to pharmacy will be strongly emphasised.

Assessable learning outcomes:
Students should be able to describe and discuss:
The historic and developing roles of pharmacists and their duty of care to the patient and the wider public;
The roles of other health care professionals;
The concepts of medicines management and pharmaceutical care, PGD and SOP;
The elements of various forms of verbal and non-verbal communication and their importance;
The questioning skills that may be used when speaking with patients and barriers to communication;
The confidentiality of patient information;
The requirements and interpretation of labels and packaging for medicines;
How to dispense simple prescriptions and identify potential drug-drug interactions, including dispensing calculations associated with course durations, doses and frequencies;
The use of reference sources such as BNF and MEP when analysing prescriptions;
How to advise patients and other healthcare professionals about medicines and their usage;
Elements of differential diagnosis, over-the-counter prescribing and referral;
The safe disposal of medicines;
Patient records and the interpretation of clinical data, including patient records held within practice settings;
The production of pharmacy-specific scientific documentation.

Additional outcomes:
Students should develop:
i) independent study and problem solving skills;
ii) an ability to work effectively on their own or in a group;
iii) an appreciation of the roles of the RPSGB;
iv) communication and time management skills;
v) an appreciation of ethical issues within healthcare;
vi) an ability to critically appraise their own performance;
vii) an ability to critically appraise information;
viii) reflective practice, enquiry and innovation skills;
ix) an awareness of the importance of CPD;
x) IT skills and expertise in information retrieval in relation to primary and secondary information sources, including information retrieval through on-line computer searches;
xi) an understanding of the role of other members of staff in the pharmacy
xii) confidence to accept vacation work and be a useful member of the team, by possessing basic useful skills such as giving advice on symptoms and knowing when to refer to the pharmacist

Outline content:
Introduction to Health Care Systems, Public Health, Pharmacy and Pharmacists (10 lectures)
Introduction to Health Care Systems and Public Health – roles of pharmacists who work in community practice, hospital practice, primary or secondary care and industry; place of pharmacy and pharmacists within the UK health care system. Duty of care to the patient and the wider public. The unique role of the pharmacist in ensuring that the patient benefits from pharmaceutical intervention.
UK health care, government and the NHS; Management of the NHS, regional and governmental inputs, CHI (Commission for Health Improvement) and NHS plan: primary, secondary, and tertiary care. Private healthcare. Roles of pharmacists and other healthcare professionals and scientists within these structures.
Concepts of medicines management and pharmaceutical care, Patient Group Directions (PGD) and Standard Operating Procedures (SOP)
The pharmaceutical industry and the role and function of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, introduction to the RPSGB code of ethics.
The duty of care, teamwork, communication, public health and the pharmacist. Discussion of the professional – patient interaction.
Historical origins of Pharmacy and pharmacists.

Consultation Skills for Pharmacists (10 lectures)
Elements of consultation; Assumptions and expectations, demeanour and verbal style.
Non-verbal communication; paralanguage, facial expressions and eye contact, gesture and posture.
Patterns of behaviour in communication; assertive aggressive, passive-aggressive and submissive behaviours.
Empathy; facilitating, identifying and responding. Developing listening skills.
Questioning skills; open and closed questions when talking to patients.
Barriers to communication; environment, patient factors and time.
Confidentiality.

Introduction to Supply of Medicines (20 lectures)
Introduction to legal and ethical aspects of pharmacy to include sale and supply of medicines, and provision of advice. Introduction to the law relating to prescriptions and to labelling of pharmaceutical products.
Labelling and packaging, role of the NPSA (National Patient Safety Agency).
Sale and supply of medicines, including evaluation and management of risk and provision of advice. Unlicensed medicines – responsibilities of pharmacists.
Dispensing of simple prescriptions and introduction to the identification of potential drug-drug interactions. Use of reference sources such as BNF and MEP when analysing prescriptions.
Definitions of compliance/adherence/concordance as understood by different members of the community. Concepts of adherence, compliance, and concordance in health-care provision.
Ways to improve and measure patient compliance/adherence/concordance.
Major routes for the administration of drugs; buccal, rectal, nasal, inhalation, topical and parenteral.
Disposal of medicines.
Good Clinical Practice.
Elementary responding to symptoms and advising on minor self-limiting disorders, including understanding the role of the pharmacist on counter-prescribing and referral.

Core tutorials (Autumn Term):
Evaluation of the roles of the pharmacist in individual and public health.
Team work and networking with students from other health care professions.
Presentation and Communication Skills for a wide range of forums including individuals and audiences. Theory and practice of personal and inter-personal skills, including written and verbal communication skills and study skills. Psychology of interpersonal communication.
Observation of pharmacy practice, elements of critical appraisal of performance and identification of strategies to improve practice.
Hospital visit – tour of hospital pharmacy department and wards, opportunity to see a hospital pharmacy in action and gain a deeper understanding of the roles played by different members of the healthcare team in this scenario.

Core tutorials (Spring Term):
Elements of practice e.g. sale and supply of medicines, prescriptions and concordance – legal requirements for supplying over-the-counter and pharmacy medicines on prescription; preparation, packaging and labelling of a small range of medicinal products.
Interpretation and evaluation of prescriptions and other orders for medicines for safety, quality, efficacy and economy.
Legal and ethical issues in advising patients and other healthcare professionals about medicines and their usage.
Learning skills – be able to use a wide range of learning methods and information gathering systems – instructed in the use of, and required to apply, library and other information resources.
Recommending proprietary products for sale to patients
Community placement visits – observations of reflective practice to evaluate direct work with patients and improve practice (initial practise with peer group, family and friends).

Reading List:
Whalley B.J., Fletcher K.E., Weston S.E., Howard R.L. and Rawlinson C.F. Foundation in Pharmacy Practice (2008) Pharmaceutical Press ISBN: 978085367473
Kelly, W.N. (Ed.) Pharmacy: What It Is and How It Works (Pharmacy Education Series) (2002) CRC Press ISBN: 1587160897
Generali, J.A., Danish, M. and Berger, C.A. Pharmacy (Appleton & Lange's Quick Review S.) (2002) McGraw-Hill Education (ISE Editions) ISBN: 0071212418
Harman, R.J. Patient Care in Community Practice (2002) Pharmaceutical Press ISBN: 0853694508
Dale, J.R., Applebe,G.E. and Wingfield, J. Dale and Applebe's Pharmacy Law and Ethics (2001) Pharmaceutical Press ISBN: 0853694753

Brief description of teaching and learning methods:
Lectures, tutorials, visits to a variety of pharmacies, directed private study, preparation of written reports and oral presentations

Contact hours:

	Autumn	Spring	Summer
Lectures	15	15
Tutorials/seminars	16	3
Practicals		14
Other contact (eg study visits)	5	4
Tutorial/seminar preparation	8	8
Directed private study (reading for and planning of 2 essays for in-course assessment. Preparation for visits and reading and planning writing for reflective diary on short placements)	30	30
Private study	26	26
Total hours	100	100
Number of essays or assignments	1	1
Other (eg major seminar paper)		Report on study visits

Assessment:
Attendance
An acceptable attendance record is required. Unsatisfactory attendance will be noted on the student's university record, which is used to provide references to future employers.

Coursework
One assessed essay of 2000 words length set at the end of the Autumn Term for submission in the second week of the Spring Term.
One Blackboard assessment consisting of a variety of multi-choice questions, covering a range of topics that have been studied in the Autumn and Spring Terms.
A workbook report on the community pharmacy study visit to be submitted in the first week of the Summer Term.


Relative percentage of coursework: Each piece of coursework will contribute 10% to the final module mark. All submitted coursework will be passed through an online originality detection system. Penalties for plagiarism will be applied according to present University policy.

Penalties for late submission
In accordance with Faculty policy 10% of marks will be deducted from practical work which is submitted up to one week late. Work submitted later than this will receive no credit unless there are extenuating circumstances. Tutorial work which is submitted late will receive no credit unless there are extenuating circumstances and the relevant form is completed.

Examinations
The module will be examined in a 3-hour examination in Summer Term which will contribute 70% to the overall module assessment.

Requirements for a pass
A mark of 40% overall and an average coursework mark of 40%.

Reassessment arrangements
Re-examination in August/September for end of module exam.
If the in-course assessment element is not passed at the first attempt the student will resubmit additional pieces of coursework for each piece previously failed.
Reassessment is based on coursework (30%) and examination (70%).

Last updated: 8 February 2010