MSc
Pharmacy Practice
The final stage of study to become a qualified pharmacist
Course Overview
Why take this course?
This course is suited to practising pharmacists registered in the UK with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) and those wishing to take the next step after the MPharm.
You will be directly applying your learning to professional practice and so must be working in a practice environment that will offer suitable training opportunities and the appropriate level of support.
What will I experience?
On this course you can:
- Tailor your learning to your own professional development requirements and have the opportunity to become an Independent Prescriber (IP)
- Be taught by pharmacy-qualified staff, including practitioners from community and hospital pharmacy
- Tap in to our library’s vast selection of electronic resources, which can be accessed from anywhere with an internet connection
What opportunities might it lead to?
After completing the MPharm, this course is the next stage in the career structure for professional registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC). It is designed to extend your knowledge and skills in pharmacy practice and aims to develop an informed appreciation of current and future roles within the pharmacy profession.
Here are some routes our graduates have pursued:
- drug development and formulation
- involvement with toxicity studies
- clinical trials
- marketing
- regulatory affairs
I stayed in Portsmouth after I graduated from my first degree – I had such a good experience the first time round that I could not imagine doing my Master’s anywhere else.
Jo Lyle, health sciences student
Key Facts
- Duration
- 3 years part time
- Entry
A Pharmacy degree (BSc, BPharm or MPharm) with a minimum classification of 2.2, registration as a practising pharmacist with the General Pharmaceutical Council and a practice-base (i.e. paid employment at an accredited centre). All offers are subject to Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) clearance.
English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 6.5 with no component score below 5.5.- Fees
UK/EU/Channel Islands and Isle of Man part-time students: £2,500 p/a* (3 years)
International part-time students: £3,970 p/a* (3 years)
*Please note that all fees are subject to annual increase.- Contact
- sci-pgrad@port.ac.uk
+44 (0)23 9284 5550 - Department
- School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences
Structure & Teaching
Year one
The course encompasses initial clinical skills and in the first year you will focus on developing therapeutics-related skills.
Core units in this year include:
- Developing Clinical Practice (applied pharmacy practice skills)
- Developing the Practitioner (pharmacy practitioner development in the NHS)
Year two
In the second year you will study more applied therapeutics skills.
Core units in this year include:
- Medical Therapeutics
- Specialist Therapeutics
Year three
The final year offers a choice of specialist options and also covers research skills in conjunction with you completing your research project.
Core units in this year include:
- Research Methods and Research Project
Options to choose from in this year include:
- Clinical and Professional Aspects of Prescribing
- Strategic and Professional Development
Teaching and Assessment
Due to the work-based nature of this course, you will be expected to attend short study sessions at the University, but most of your theory learning will be coordinated online. Your main mode of learning will be via practical activities at work such as medication reviews, pharmaceutical care case studies, audit, clinical interventions and therapeutic examples.
How are you assessed?
Other than practical assessments, you will complete written assignments in the form of essays and reviews containing a high content of critical discussion throughout the course.
Tutor's view
Dr Helena Herrera
Health Sciences
This course uses a mixture of contemporary teaching methods, lectures and self-directed study to support the development of skills and knowledge necessary to practice in a pharmacy environment. You are supported by a team of expert practitioners and academics, and state-of-the-art facilities and a virtual learning environment also enrich your learning.
Facilities & Features
Flexible Learning
Benefit from web, email or phone access to many of our facilities and services
Support
We aim to ensure you receive all the support you need
Combined Credit
Benefit from a broad range of expertise from multiple institutions
University Library
Modern, comfortable and a great learning environment
Flexible Learning
Although you may not be campus based, you will still benefit from web, email or phone access to many of our facilities and services. Our student website, LookUP, will be your one-stop shop for all news, information and links to other services, and 24/7 online access to the University Library’s vast electronic book, journal and database collections will help you find the right resources for your research.
Support
Throughout the course, we aim to ensure you receive all the support you need – both for your studies and in the workplace. For hospital and primary care-based students, this involves a work-based accredited tutor and for community pharmacists tutorial support will be given by a member of staff at the University. There are also tutors available to support your studies via online tutorials, email and telephone conferencing.
Combined Credit
This course has been developed in conjunction with four other Schools of Pharmacy – the University of London, King's College London, the University of Brighton and the University of East Anglia – enabling you to benefit from a broad range of expertise from each institution. The development of a joint syllabus also provides an opportunity for transferable credit between universities.
University Library
Modern, comfortable and a great learning environment, our library offers a wealth of information including 400,000 books, DVDs, maps and thousands of online ejournals and newspapers. Many electronic resources are available anywhere, 24/7 and our friendly staff are always on hand to help.
Careers & Opportunities
Career prospects
Depending on your current work situation and setting, it can lead to many different career opportunities. If you are a hospital pharmacist, you will be able to apply for posts at a more advanced level. Community pharmacists will become more confident and able to provide enhanced and advanced services. If you’re a pharmacist in primary care, you will gain experience in the wider issues associated with your service.
If you successfully complete the independent prescribing unit, we will award you a Practice Certificate in Independent Prescribing. This allows you to apply for annotation to your registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) as an accredited Independent Prescriber (IP).
Roles our graduates have taken on include:
- prescribing support pharmacist
- medication review pharmacist
- prescriber
- clinical specialist pharmacist
- teacher/practitioner
Career planning
One of the benefits of studying at Portsmouth is the support that we provide to our Master's and Research Degrees students in career planning. Our careers and recruitment service – Purple Door – can assist you in career research and finding employment opportunities. Help is also available if you wish to find a part-time job while studying your degree. We offer our postgraduate students and alumni one-to-one appointments with a careers adviser, or an online service for those not able to travel back to the University. Our alumni can call on our career services for five years after graduation.
In addition, regular employability events offer you the chance to meet employers, find out about different career sectors and improve your applications or CV. The Graduate Summer Programme provides a range of guidance and employability seminars and workshops.