M.Sc. in Hospital Pharmacy
Course Code: TRS33
Duration: Two years, part-time taught course
Closing Date: 30th June 2013, for admission in the following January (biennial intake)
Application: Applications for this course should be made online through http://www.tcd.ie/courses/postgraduate/
. Two references are required, only one of these must be academic.
Course Co-ordinator: Ms. Niamh McMahon
Email: Niamh McMahon or Cynthia Mannion (Executive Officer)
Telephone: +353 1 416 2586 / 2467
Fax: +353 1 473 0596
Graduate Studies Homepage: Graduate Studies Office
The M.Sc. in Hospital Pharmacy has been running successfully since 1996. It is a broadbased course and provides students with the knowledge and skills necessary to undertake all aspects of hospital pharmacy including clinical pharmacy, dispensary and drug distribution, administration and management, aseptic compounding, pharmacoeconomics and medicines information. Students must be based in full-time employment in one of the course approved hospitals.
Admission requirements
(http://www.thepsi.ie/gns/home.aspx)
Course structure & content
The course is taught, with lectures and tutorials taking place on one half day per week in a central location.
The M.Sc. is divided into 9 modules:
| Module Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Module 1 - Practice of Hospital Pharmacy | A broad based module, where all course components are drawn together i.e. core clinical skills, professional and problem-solving skills, medicines information, and dispensary functions. |
| Module 2, 3 & 4 - Medical therapeutics I & II & Surgical therapeutics | The role of the pharmacist in the treatment of diseases amenable to drug therapy and in the management of the surgical patient. These modules deal with the major therapeutic areas e.g. cardiology, respiratory etc. and are underpinned by the practice-based hospital rotations/attachments. |
| Module 5 - Aseptic & Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP). | To provide students with a fundamental understanding of aseptic processing in hospital pharmacy. |
| Module 6 & 7 - Medical Specialities Part I & II | Deal with specialist areas e.g. renal, intensive care, neurology, psychiatry, paediatrics etc. The importance of immunology & the emerging role of new and sophisticated biotechnology products are covered here. An introduction to gene therapy is also included. |
| Module 8 - Health Services Management | General management issues pertaining to personal and professional development such as leadership, organisational and communication skills, negotiating skills, conflict management and teamwork are covered. Quality and risk management, national trends and policies in relation to healthcare, and legal and ethical considerations will be covered. Various guest lecturers contribute to this module. Pharmacoeconomics and its various applications are covered here in this module. |
| Module 9 - 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. |
All modules are compulsory.
Intensive practical experience will be gained by each candidate during his or her hospital clerkship programme under the guidance of an assigned tutor(s).
This course is delivered by Ms. Niamh McMahon with the support and assistance of the following lead tutors:
- Bernard Carr, B.Pharm., M.Sc., MPSI
- Evelyn Deasy, B.Sc.Pharm., M.Sc., MPSI
- Martin Ferguson, B.Sc.Pharm., M.Sc., MPSI
- Mairead Galvin, B.Sc.Pharm., M.Sc., MPSI
- Claire Keane, B.Sc.Pharm., M.Sc., MPSI
- Mariosa Kieran, B.Sc.Pharm., M.Sc., MPSI
- Colm McDonald, B.Sc.Pharm., Dip.Clin. Pharmacy, MPSI
- Damodar Solanki, B.Sc.Pharm., Dip.Clin. Pharmacy, MPSI
Assessment
Assessment of the course includes written examinations, written assignments, oral presentations, an Objective Structured Clinical Examination and a written dissertation (approximately 20,000 words in length).
Previous research projects of the M.Sc. in Hospital Pharmacy (PDF -30K)
Students also undergo a competency based training programme to assure competence in delivery of patient care, problem solving and personal competencies.
For the award of the M.Sc., candidates must satisfy the examiners in both the taught and research components of the course. A Viva-Voce examination will be conducted by an External Examiner.
Further information
Further information is available from the Course Co-ordinator or Executive Officer.