Pharmacy MPharm

This module will lay the foundations for the study of those aspects of chemistry that are necessary in order to understand the science behind the discovery and use of medicines of chemical synthetic and natural origin. The importance of physicochemical principles and the use of physical and chemical tests and analytical methods (principles, design, development and application) will include an introduction to infra-red, ultra-violet and mass spectrometry and also NMR. In the second half of the module, the chemistry and properties of the principal functional groups will be considered to highlight how physical, chemical and drug properties can be predicted. Science will be clearly linked to practice examples.

All the major organs of the body will be covered together with models of normal and abnormal bodily function. Emphasis will be directed to the concept of homeostasis and the integration of dynamic processes involved in the maintenance of health. Laboratory practical classes will allow the development of clinical skills from the use of human participants.

​This module introduces you to the underpinning physical pharmaceutics and the skills appropriate for the formulation and compounding of medicines prepared extemporaneously. You'll be introduced to a range of dosage forms and will have the opportunity to demonstrate how the science behind pharmacy is applied in the discovery, design and development of formulations. You'll also have the chance to adopt best practice in the preparation of a range of extemporaneous preparations including sourcing formulae, performing calculations and record keeping.

​This module will provide an introduction to drug action in the body including their molecular and cellular targets, it will also provide an introduction to basic pharmacokinetics. The structure and function of biological macromolecules that interact with drugs, for example enzymes, receptors and membrane transporters will be outlined. DNA replication, transcription and translation will be covered. A basic introduction to innate and adaptive immunity will also be given. Drugs used for treating inherited diseases and disorders of the gastrointestinal system, skin, musculoskeletal system as well as for the eye, ear, nose and throat will be considered as these are referred to in dealing with minor ailments in the modules Pharmacy Practice 1 and Formulation and Compounding of Medicine.

​This module develops your knowledge of the practice of pharmacy, the role of the pharmacist in society and their role as a member of the healthcare team and highlights issues related to ‘Health and Illness.’ Pharmacists contribution to public health is a significant theme and you'll have the chance to develop your communication skills with the public and external public health agencies. You'll also have the opportunity to progress in the dispensing of medicines with respect to controlled drugs, varied prescription types and person centered consultation skills, pharmaceutical legislation and ethics. You'll develop the concept of self-care and the process of differential diagnosis with emphasis on the treatment of minor self-limiting illnesses such as coughs and colds. Professional and ethical responsibilities around prescribing will be explored including for minor ailments and implications of near patient testing. Pharmacy placement visits will provide you with the opportunity to become familiar with the practice of pharmacy in a variety of workplace environments.

The module will provide an in-depth account of drugs that are used to treat disorders of some of the complex systems not covered in Scientific Basis of Drug Action You'll have the opportunity to study in detail the principles of pharmacology, which underlie the rational use of therapeutic agents in the management of chronic disease of the cardiovascular, endocrine and respiratory systems as well as common antimicrobial, antiviral and antifungal agents. The module completes your understanding of basic Pharmacokinetics.

​This module will provide a thorough understanding of the relevant basic chemical science that will enable you to use your knowledge base to build your understanding of the synthesis, metabolism and analysis of drugs, and recognise some of the technologies that are behind developing advanced therapeutic medicinal products and precision medicines, including the formulation, supply and quality assurance of these therapeutic agents.

This module provides an understanding of the main groups of disease causing microorganisms, experience with the manipulation and growth of microorganisms, an understanding of the major microbial infections and the pharmaceutical approaches available for their control, which is in line with the theme for this year in understanding how medicines work.

This module highlights the concepts, philosophy and ethos of using research to provide evidence of best practice. You'll have the chance to gain an appreciation of the use of literature searching and how your review of this literature generates and consolidates a hypothesis. You'll gain an insight into different research methodologies so you can design research studies and will be provided with methods on how to interpret your data (with a focus on statistical tests). In addition, you will present your research portfolio in an oral presentation. There will be a combination of lectures and workshops that will include data handling and analysis.

​This module provides the core of the third year of the Pharmacy MPharm degree and supports this significant stage in your professional development by providing you with the knowledge and skills to deliver pharmaceutical care and to apply your knowledge to patient care. This module provides the basic components of prescribing , clinical evaluation of prescriptions and patients by covering long term conditions in primary care, advanced services in community pharmacy and acutely sick and clinically complex individual prescriptions in hospital practice. You'll be exposed to therapeutic uncertainty and how to make complex decisions. There is a high practical component to equip you for your foundation year and beyond. The preparation of individualised medicine (aseptic dispensing) is an important part of the module and both veterinary and alternative therapies are also featured.

This module will extend your understanding of pharmaceutics and biopharmaceutics and relevance to an extended range of dosage forms. Formulation approaches to targeting the different routes of delivery (buccal, colon, rectal, nasal, ophthalmic, pulmonary and transdermal) will also be covered. The structure and the nature of the barrier properties of the tissue will be discussed in terms of the advantages afforded by delivery to the site and strategies for maximising absorption. The design, manufacture and performance of modified release drug dosage forms and factors governing release kinetics from reservoir, osmotic and monolithic systems and mathematical calculations will be covered. Pharmaceutical analysis techniques (thermal, and rheological analyses) are also covered along with release testing, UV analysis, aerosol testing and particle sizing.

This module will focus on a life course approach to health and the use of medicines, particularly as they relate to common long-term conditions. It will promote the application of an integrated knowledge base, and an understanding of the way that people view and use medicines, to inform shared decision-making and problem-solving with individual patients and their caregivers. It will consider the '4 Ps' relevant to any holistic examination of a therapeutic situation – the impact and intersection of people, places, policies and pharmaceuticals. You'll have the opportunity to develop and consolidate your clinical pharmacy and critical evaluation skills through work on diverse case studies and commonly encountered scenarios.

The aim of this module is to provide an in-depth appreciation of all the stages from new drug identification to bringing a drug to the market and beyond, with an emphasis on biotechnology-based products. It is divided into two integrated streams, the first being drug design. Students will gain a critical appreciation of drug design and methods of discovery (chemical synthetic, biotechnological, mineral and plant origin and other natural sources). Drug development will include pre-clinical, clinical and post-marketing surveillance aspects. The incorporation of advanced drug delivery strategies into current practice and future directions will be covered in detail.. Material will illustrate the influence the drug development and delivery bears on the armaments available to healthcare practitioners to treat disease. Students will be expected to integrate and apply their knowledge and skills in the development of their own formulation supported by representatives from the pharmaceutical industry.

An introduction to precision medicine including pharmacogenomics, which will be extended to an in-depth appreciation on how genetic variations are inherited and can be applied to pharmacogenomic analysis, i.e. how genetic variations affect human drug response and how this area is important to pharmacists, in particular looking to where future and current systems for medicines prescribing incorporate pharmacogenomics data. The pharmacogenomics of individual drugs will be explored using both virtual case studies and active systems including those currently integrated into the NHS, where multidisciplinary teams/stakeholders are involved. The module will also explore the application of biomarkers, including pharmacogenomic biomarkers, to stratified or personalised medicine. Both pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics influences of drugs will be covered, such as inter-patient variation in the expression of drug metabolising and activating enzymes; as well as differences in the expression of drug targets such as receptors, enzymes and transporters. Bioinformatics will be explored through the understanding of the development of the Human Genome Project (HGP) and its relevance to ‘OMIC’ technologies (genomics, proteomics, and transcriptomics) and Next Generation Sequencing technologies. In addition, different model systems that are used to identify and develop biomarkers and drug target identification will be covered.