Module overview
This module will enable healthcare practitioners to significantly expand their knowledge of pharmacology and the related clinical sciences. This knowledge applied in the clinical domain, will enhance their ability to assess and manage patients/clients presenting with acute health problems and/or complex long term conditions.
Aims and Objectives
Learning Outcomes
Learning Outcomes
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- Demonstrate a comprehensive knowledge of pharmacology and related clinical sciences and apply this to the assessment and management of patients/clients
- Build strategies that, develop and maintain concordant partnerships that enhance adherence, medicines management and patient/client care.
- Evaluate sources of information, advice, and decision support in medicines management and/or prescribing practice
- Critically consider the effectiveness of drug actions and demonstrate expertise in applying this knowledge to prescribing practice and/or medicines management.
Syllabus
Clinical pharmacology, including the effects of co-morbidity
- Pharmacology, including pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, pharmacotherapeutics.
- Anatomy and physiology as applied to prescribing practice and community practitioner formulary.
- Basic principles of drugs to be prescribed, eg. absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion, including adverse drug reactions (ADR).
- Interactions and reactions.
- Patient/client compliance, concordance and drug response.
- Impact of physiological state on drug responses and safety, for example, in elderly people, neonates, children and young people, pregnant or breast feeding women.
Evidence-based practice in relation to patient care
- Rationale, adherence to and deviation from national and local guidelines, protocols, policies, decision support systems and formulae.
- Reflective practice.
- Critical appraisal skills, scrutinising data.
Prescribing in the public health context
- policies regarding the use of antibiotics and vaccines
- inappropriate use of medication including misuse, under- and over-use
Promoting adherence
- Medicines optimisation
Learning and Teaching
Teaching and learning methods
Learning and teaching methods will incorporate tutorials, lectures, focused learning, use of Blackboard on- line resources, self-directed learning, experiential learning and collaborative sharing of clinical practice.
| Type | Hours |
|---|---|
| Teaching | 48 |
| Private study hours | 202 |
| Total study time | 250 |
Resources & Reading list
Textbooks
Neal M (2015). Medical Pharmacology at a Glance. (8th edition).
Ritter JM, Flower R, Henderson G, Loke YK, MacEwan D and Rang HP (2019). Rang and Dale’s Pharmacology (9th ed.).
Dimmond, B (2015). Legal Aspects of Medicines (2nd Edition).
Pharmaceutical Press. British National Formulary (BNF and/or BNFc) Current edition.
Seedhouse, D. (2009). Ethics: The Heart of Health Care (3rd Edition).
Assessment
Formative
This is how we’ll give you feedback as you are learning. It is not a formal test or exam.
Mock exam
- Assessment Type: Formative
- Feedback: Feedback is provided following the self-marked formative exam to enable you to identify areas requiring improvement.
- Final Assessment: No
- Group Work: No
Summative
This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Case study | 50% |
| Exam | 50% |
Repeat Information
Repeat type: Internal & External