Advanced Medicines Management

Key information

Start date:
22 January 2025
Attendance dates:

22, 23, 30 January 2025

07 February 2025

06 March 2025

10 April 2025

Venue:
Kate Granger Building, 30 Priestley Road, Surrey Research Park, Guildford, Surrey GU2 7YH

Depending on the subject and content, modules will mainly be delivered via a combination of face-to-face and online.

Some modules may be taught at: Stag Hill campus, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey GU2 7XH
Contact details:
  • Level
    7 (postgraduate)
  • Credits
    15
  • Module code
    HCRM033

Module overview

This module enables healthcare practitioners working in advanced roles to significantly expand their knowledge of pharmacology, related clinical sciences and the practice of medicines optimisation.

Module aims

Successful completion of this module will enable you to demonstrate knowledge, skills and understanding required to underpin medicines optimisation. There will be emphasis on the domains of pharmaceutical knowledge; principles of drug dosage, side effects, reactions and interactions; communication and concordance; philosophy and the psychology of medicines management.

 

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of this module, you will be able to:

  • Apply knowledge of pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics to your role, including the monitoring of response to therapy and justification to modify treatment.
  • Critically evaluate your legal, ethical and professional responsibilities in relation to therapeutic/pharmacological treatments.
  • Critically appraise sources of information, advice and decision support in medicines management and prescribing practice to enable synthesis of new frameworks for working.

Course content

Indicative module content includes:

Consultation, decision-making and therapy, including referral

  • Models of consultation
  • Accurate assessment, history taking, communication and consultation with patients/clients and their parents/carers
  • Concepts of working diagnosis or best formulation
  • Confirmation of diagnosis/differential diagnosis - further examination, investigation, referral for diagnosis
  • Medicines review of prescribed and other medication

Clinical pharmacology, including the effects of co-morbidity

  • Pharmacology, including pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, pharmacotherapeutics
  • Anatomy and physiology as applied to prescribing practice
  • Basic principles of drugs to be prescribed, for example 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
  • Pharmaco-therapeutics related to controlled drugs.

Evidence-based practice and clinical governance in relation to prescribing

  • Rationale, adherence to and deviation from national and local guidelines, protocols, policies, decision support systems and formulae
  • Reflective practice
  • Critical appraisal skills, scrutinising data.

Medicines management in the public health context

  • Policies regarding the use of antibiotics and vaccines
  • Inappropriate use of medication including misuse, under- and over-use
  • Inappropriate prescribing, over- and under-prescribing.

Learning and teaching methods

For the 2023/24 curriculum, our PGT/CPD modules will continue to be delivered using hybrid learning. This means that depending on the subject and content of learning and teaching, modules will mainly be delivered via a combination of face to face and online delivery (both live and asynchronous), as this has worked really well for our practice-based colleagues. It is important to recognise the majority of modules contain face to face contact time and attendance at the University will be required.

Learning and teaching methods include:

  • Enquiry-based learning, to develop critical thinking in e.g. legal, ethical and professional issues
  • Lectures by specialist professionals
  • E-learning
  • Case studies/scenarios, to show the application of knowledge of drugs to clinical practice
  • Student-led seminars, to show the application of knowledge of drugs to clinical practice.

Assessment

A critical analysis of a patient/client case study demonstrating advanced decision making in medicines management.

Word count: 3,000

Course leader

Corinne Drummond

Lead for Supplementary and Independent Prescribing

Entry requirements

  • Evidence of ability to study at level 7
  • Students should have been qualified as a health care professional for at least three years and have been in a post for at least one year.
  • Professional registration as a healthcare professional:
    • Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)
    • Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)
  • Working in health and social care.

Fees and funding

£1,019

How to apply

Please download and fill in an application form. 

Please note: 

  1. Applications typically close six weeks before the module start date and may close earlier if we reach a maximum number of applications. If we still have spaces on the course, we may extend the application deadline date.
  2. It is important to ensure that you complete all sections and answer all questions, incomplete forms will cause a delay and may result in you missing out on an available place.
  3. If you are registered on a Continuing Professional Development (CPD) course then you will need to complete an application form for each CPD module you wish to apply for.

Send your completed application to postreg_admin@surrey.ac.uk.

Terms and conditions

When you accept an offer of a place at the University of Surrey, you are agreeing to comply with our policies and regulations and our terms and conditions. You are also confirming you have read and understood the University's prospective student privacy notice.

If your sponsoring healthcare provider is funding you for this module, by submitting an application you agree to allow all information regarding your module (for example your exam results) to be shared with the sponsoring provider.

Cancellation policy

If you withdraw less than seven days before the module commences or do not attend on the first day (without informing the module administrator) the full cost of the module will be charged. Withdrawals after the module commences will also be charged.

Module availability

Places are confirmed approximately one month before the module start date. Please note that modules may be subject to teaching availability, student demand and/or class size caps. 

Disclaimer

Modules listed are indicative, reflecting the information available at the time of publication. The University of Surrey has used its reasonable efforts to ensure that the information is accurate at the time of publishing, but changes (for example to module content) may occur given the interval between publishing and commencement of the module. It is therefore very important to check this website for any updates before you apply for a module with us. Read the full disclaimer.

Course location and contact details

Campus location

Kate Granger Building

Our Medicine (Graduate Entry) BMBS degree, nursing and midwifery, and health science courses are taught at the Kate Granger Building (30 Priestley Road), on the Surrey Research Park.

Additional information

Depending on the subject and content, modules will mainly be delivered via a combination of face-to-face and online.

Some modules may be taught at: Stag Hill campus, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey GU2 7XH.

Post-registration Administration team
Address

University of Surrey
Guildford
Surrey GU2 7XH