Location: Medway
Learn how Medicines Optimisation is used to determine how medicines are used by patients and the NHS. Effective medicines optimisation places the patient as the primary focus of interventions by healthcare professionals and is a key driver for NHS modernisation in the UK. Become proficient in planning clinical and cost-effective medicines use in the context of the holistic consideration of patient needs.
One pathway to the MSc includes the chance for you to qualify as an independent/supplementary prescriber. Have a look at the Independent / Supplementary Prescribing programme for more details.
Duration
1 to 6 years part-time, flexible learning
Knowledge and understanding
You will gain knowledge and understanding of:
- medicines management
- applied therapeutics
- adherence, concordance and compliance
- effective methods of working with patients and other healthcare professionals
- ethical issues influencing prescribing decisions
- pharmaceutical care planning and medication review
- individualising therapy in a variety of patient settings and conditions
- drug monitoring in the context of co-morbidities
- clinical governance in the context of medicines management
- effective use of complex clinical data sets
- public health and its role in improving the health of the nation
- health economics
- management.
Intellectual Skills
You develop intellectual skills in:
- recognising, synthesising and applying appropriate theories, concepts and principles from a range of disciplines and sources
- integrating previous learning with professional skills and expertise to synthesise innovative approaches to medicines management in order to support individualised patient care
- making sound judgements about medication issues in the absence of complete data and communicating conclusions clearly to specialist and non-specialist audiences
- analysing and resolving your own learning needs
- contributing to the improvement of health outcomes for populations and individuals through reflective practice and innovation
- strategic planning
- experimental design, use of appropriate research and statistical techniques.
Subject-specific skills
You gain subject-specific skills in:
- the planning, conduct, evaluation, interpretation and reporting the results of clinical investigations in the context of defined patient outcomes
- the ability to search for information and evidence to inform and support individualised drug therapy decisions
- effective communication of drug therapy decisions to patients and other healthcare professionals
- the management of professional teams, working with other organisations, self-management.
Transferable skills
You will gain the following transferable skills:
- critical self-reflection and the ability to enhance professional competence on the basis of feedback from yourself and others
- the ability to communicate with clarity in both the academic and professional setting to a range of audiences and using a variety of approaches
- the ability to effectively manage and present complex information using a comprehensive range of learning resources.
This programme aims to:
- equip healthcare professionals with the skills and knowledge to contribute effectively to medicines management services and to individual drug therapy decisions in primary and secondary care.
- enable you to incorporate your learning directly into your workplace and to rise to the challenges presented by the new, patient-centred NHS.