Advanced Clinical Pharmacy Practice

Overview

Do you want to advance your pharmacy career while continuing in employment?



This postgraduate distance learning programme allows you fit your studies around your work and family commitments.



Our Advanced Clinical Pharmacy Practice programme was developed following extensive consultation with pharmacists and their employers both within and beyond the United Kingdom. It provides a flexible study pathway that is designed to develop the therapeutic knowledge and clinical skills of pharmacists to an advanced level. The modules are designed to help pharmacists to acquire and demonstrate the advanced-level competencies defined in the Royal Pharmaceutical Society's Core Advanced Pharmacist Curriculum.



The MSc is open to pharmacists in all employment sectors although students must be able to undertake a project in either the primary or secondary healthcare sector in their final year.



The MSc can be completed entirely off-campus by distance-learning and is therefore open to pharmacists both within and outside the United Kingdom.



Students in Great Britain may select the Independent Prescribing option in year 2, which includes a compulsory 5-day clinical skills residential at Queen's.

Course Structure

Study part-time by distance learning

Year 1

Students complete one of the following 30-credit modules during the first semester:

PMY7100 Introduction to clinical pharmacy*

PMY7101 Managing drug treatment

PMY7102 Advancing practice in primary care



*compulsory for students who are working outside the UK/Ireland



Students complete one of the following 30-credit modules during the second semester:

PMY7104 Management of long-term conditions 1 (Cardiovascular disease and diabetes)

PMY7105 Management of long-term conditions 2 (Neurological disease, management of pain and mental health)

PMY7106 Management of long-term conditions 3 (Respiratory, gastrointestinal and skin disease)



Year 2

Students complete the following 30-credit module during the first semester:

PMY7103 Developing evidence in practice



Students complete one of the following 30-credit modules during the second semester:

PMY7104 Management of long-term conditions 1 (Cardiovascular disease and diabetes)

PMY7105 Management of long-term conditions 2 (Neurological disease, management of pain and mental health)

PMY7106 Management of long-term conditions 3 (Respiratory, gastrointestinal and skin disease)



Core Modules:

Developing evidence in practice (30 credits)



Year 3

Option 1: PMY7090 Practice-based research project (60 credits)



Option 2: PMY7009 Service evaluation and development project (30 credits) plus PMY7068 Development as an advanced practitioner* (30 credits)



*Includes development of management and leadership skills linked to the RPS Core Advanced Pharmacist Curriculum (UK students only).



Optional Modules:

Disease Management (10 credits)

Professionalism (10 credits)

Evidence-based medicine and safe prescribing (10 credits)

Influences on and psychology of prescribing and patient-centred care (10 credits)

An introduction to UK Clinical practice (30 credits)

Management of long-term conditions 1 (30 credits)

Clinical skills, patient monitoring and onward referral (10 credits)

Prescribing in Practice (0 credits)

Advancing practice in primary care (30 credits)

Managing drug treatment (30 credits)

Service evaluation and development (30 credits)

Critical Literature Review (20 credits)

Development as an advanced practitioner (30 credits)

Consultation and communication skills (10 credits)

Management of long-term conditions 2 (30 credits)

Introduction to clinical pharmacy (30 credits)

Management of long-term conditions 3 (30 credits)

Research Project (60 credits)

Graduate

This course is designed to meet the postgraduate education needs of pharmacists working in patient-facing roles, although applications are welcome from pharmacists working in any employment sector.



The programme is open to local, national and international applicants.



The University requires evidence that international applicants are competent in the use of English language.



Applicants must have a pharmacy degree (minimum Bachelor degree) from a university recognised by Queen’s University Belfast and be registered as a pharmacist with an appropriate regulatory organisation.

Applicants are advised to apply as early as possible and ideally no later than 31st July 2025 for courses which commence in late September. In the event that any programme receives a high number of applications, the University reserves the right to close the application portal prior to the deadline stated on course finder. Notifications to this effect will appear on the application portal against the programme application page.

https://www.qub.ac.uk/schools/SchoolofPharmacy/Filestore/Filetoupload,894791,en.pdf

3 years part-time

Entry Year: 2025/26

Career Prospects

Professional Opportunities

This programme will enhance opportunities to progress your career as a pharmacist to advanced practitioner level.



Pharmacists in Great Britain have an option to undertake independent prescribing (IP) training in the second year.