Hospital Pharmacy

Course Overview
Winner of the 2019 GradIreland Postgraduate Course of the Year Award in the Health Sciences Division, the M.Sc. in Hospital Pharmacy is the longest running postgraduate hospital pharmacy course in Ireland. It is also unique, in that it is the only broad-based hospital pharmacy course in Ireland, covering both clinical and non-clinical aspects of hospital pharmacy practice.

The M.Sc. in Hospital Pharmacy consists of a practice-based teaching programme complemented by lectures, tutorials and workshops. The course provides students with the knowledge and skills necessary to undertake all aspects of hospital pharmacy.

Is This Course For Me?
Anyone interested in the study and practice of providing medications and other medical products to patients in a hospital setting should consider studying hospital pharmacy. This field requires a deep understanding of pharmacology, drug compounding, and regulatory compliance. Pharmacists specialising in hospital pharmacy are responsible for ensuring the safe and effective use of medications in the hospital setting.

Course Structure
This is a two-year, part-time course with lectures and tutorials taking place on one half day per week in central locations. Courses are conducted on a biennial basis.

The course is delivered via a hybrid model, with a mixture of face-to-face and online learning. Students have access to Trinity’s online virtual learning environment (Blackboard 9.1).

Coursework is underpinned by a comprehensive practice-based element where students rotate through a variety of specialist areas to ensure that broad, practical experience is obtained in such areas as medicines information, dispensary, aseptic compounding and clinical specialities.

The M.Sc. is divided into 9 modules
Practice of Hospital Pharmacy, a broad-based module, where all course components are drawn together (core clinical skills, professional and problem-solving skills, medicines information, and dispensary functions).

Medical Therapeutics I & II & Surgical Therapeutics, which analysyes the role of the pharmacist in the treatment of diseases and in the management of the surgical patient. These modules deal with the major therapeutic areas such as cardiology, respiratory etc. and are underpinned by the practice-based hospital rotations.

Aseptics & Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), to provide students with a fundamental understanding of aseptic processing in hospital pharmacy.

Medical Specialities Part I & II, deals with specialist areas e.g. renal, intensive care, neurology, psychiatry, and paediatrics. The importance of immunology and the emerging role of new and sophisticated biotechnology products are covered here. An introduction to gene therapy is also included.

Health Services Management, which covers general management issues pertaining to personal and professional development such as leadership, organisational and communication skills, negotiating skills, conflict management and teamwork. Quality and risk management, national trends and policies in relation to healthcare, and legal and ethical considerations will also be covered. Various guest lecturers contribute to this module. Pharmacoeconomics and its applications are covered here in this module.

Research Module: This aims to provide an understanding of research design and methodologies, and incorporates a practical statistics programme, with an emphasis on hospital pharmacy research and data analysis.

PH7301 - Practice of Hospital Pharmacy
A broad based module,covering advanced clinical skills, professional and problem-solving skills, risk management, medicines information, and dispensary management & procurement.

PH7302, PH730 - Medical therapeutics I & II
The role of the advanced specialist pharmacist in medicines management and optimisation of the acute and chronic stages of various disease states. These modules cover the the following major therapeutic areas: cardiology, respiratory, antimicrobial stewardship & resistance, endocrinology, gastroenterology and rheumatology,and are underpinned by the practice-based hospital rotations.

PH7310 - Surgical therapeutics
The role of the pharmacist in the management of pharmaceutical care issues relevant to the surgical patient e.g. fluid balance & electrolytes, peri-operative medicines use, post-operative analgesia etc..

PH7305 - Aseptics & Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP).
To provide students with a fundamental understanding of aseptic processing in hospital pharmacy. GMP and principle of clean room technology, quality assurance and quality control in the aseptic services unit, risk management and health & safety will be covered.

PH7306 & PH7307 - Medical Specialities Part I & II
Deal with specialist areas e.g. renal, intensive care, neurology, haematology/oncology, psychiatry, paediatrics etc. The importance of immunology & the emerging role of new and sophisticated biotechnology products are covered here.

PH7308 - Health Services Management
General management issues e.g. leadership, organisational and communication skills, negotiating skills, conflict management and teamwork are covered here. Quality and risk management, national trends and policies in relation to healthcare, and legal and ethical considerations will also be covered. Various guest lecturers contribute to this module. There is a dedicated series of lectures/workshop delivered by the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics.

PH7000 - Research Module
This module covers research study design and methodologies, and incorporates a practical statistics programme, with an emphasis on hospital pharmacy research and data analysis.

Eligible candidates must hold a first or second-class honors (upper division) degree in pharmacy, have experience working in hospital pharmacy practice and be registered (or eligible to be registered) with the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland prior to the January start date. Please note that for applications to this course two references are required; one academic and one non-academic. Please note that some students will have to attend interviews in order to compete for clinical placements.

Closing Date: 30th June 2025

Assessment is on a continual basis through formal examinations, written assignments, oral presentations and competency-based assessments.

2 years part-time.

Next Intake: January 2026

Career Opportunities
The course provides students with the knowledge and skills necessary to undertake all aspects of hospital pharmacy.