Clinical Pharmacy PgDip/MSc

Gain vital core skills and knowledge necessary to prepare for your role as an advanced pharmacist practitioner and prescriber. Use your portfolio assessments in building your Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) individual pharmacist portfolio.

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Overview

This innovative course focuses on advancing your clinical practice, leadership, management, education, and research skills while incorporating the independent prescribing qualification. It is ideally suited for newly qualified pharmacists and those progressing towards advanced clinical practice.

We are one of the few institutions that integrates the RPS e-Portfolio into its curriculum. This unique feature empowers you to build your RPS e-Portfolio within the course, with your assessed work directly contributing to its development. By graduation, you will have a comprehensive portfolio that you can further refine and, if you choose, submit separately for RPS PRF credentialing.

We offer a Postgraduate Diploma (PgDip) in Clinical Pharmacy, completed over two years, and a Master of Science (MSc) in Clinical Pharmacy, completed over three years.

Pharmacists who already hold a PgDip in Clinical Pharmacy (or equivalent postgraduate qualification) may be eligible to apply for the MSc Top-Up, completed over one year. MSc students will engage in a research project, equipping them to develop as skilled research practitioners.

Join us to take the next step in your pharmacy career with a course designed to equip you for the future of clinical practice.

Why us?

Course aligns with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) Post-registration Foundation (PRF) and Core Advanced Pharmacist Curricula
Develop your RPS e-Portfolio as part of the course with assessed work directly contributing to its completion
Part-time study is designed to fit around your professional commitments
On-campus clinical skills teaching for hands-on practice

Access engaging learning materials, including self-assessment quizzes, e-learning modules, video presentations, and applied case-based scenarios
Learn from experienced academic practitioners, specialist advanced clinical pharmacists, and other healthcare professionals in our expert-led webinars
Blended learning with the use of Canvas, our Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), and a series of taught, online seminars across the academic year

Course structure

The course is delivered through a blended learning approach, with a strong emphasis on interactive distance-learning materials that you can engage with at your own time and pace.

Teaching is delivered via online lectures, expert interviews, directed reading, case-based scenarios, research activities, tutorials, and dedicated online tutor support. Content is divided into manageable, bite-sized chunks, allowing you to focus on specific areas in a short timeframe. You can test your knowledge with self-check quizzes, watch expert consultations, or explore video tutorials.

You’ll also attend on-campus teaching sessions for hands-on clinical skills development and participate in a series of live online seminars. These sessions are led by experienced academic pharmacists actively working in practice, highly specialist advanced clinical pharmacist practitioners, and a wide range of other healthcare professionals.

The modules are designed to run throughout the academic year, giving you the flexibility to manage your own schedule and study at your own pace within the module timeframe. Unlike undergraduate courses, this course requires a higher level of independent working, empowering you to take greater control of your learning experience.

You'll be assessed through a combination of written coursework and a work-based e-Portfolio. The e-Portfolio assesses learning and development through a variety of supervised learning events (SLEs), specifically tailored to meet the module and course outcomes. SLEs will be assessed in the workplace by either your educational supervisor, practice supervisor (responsible for day-to-day supervision in the workplace setting), or a suitably experienced member of the multidisciplinary team (MDT).

PgDip and MSc – Year 1

Foundations of Clinical Practice (30 credits)

Strengthen your capabilities as a safe and effective practitioner while deepening your critical understanding of the clinical pharmacist's role. Advance your consultation and history-taking skills, integrating diagnostic testing into patient-centred care. Build on existing knowledge with an evidence-based approach to problem-solving, prioritising patient safety and systematic decision-making.

Leadership in Healthcare (15 credits)

Explore your strengths and develop qualities to build and lead effective teams. Learn how to advocate for and implement change using quality improvement and leadership strategies. Deepen your knowledge of risk management and error reporting to improve patient outcomes and reduce adverse events.

Research in Healthcare (15 credits)

Gain the skills to create, analyse, critique, and apply evidence to enhance healthcare outcomes. Explore key approaches, from hypothesis formation to the synthesis of systematic reviews. Design a research project on a topic of your choice, guided by the principles of healthcare research.

Some modules have prerequisites. Read more about what this means in our Help and Advice article.

PgDip and MSc – Year 2

Clinical Practice and Education (30 credits) – Core

Build your skills in acute patient care while fostering personal development, identifying learning opportunities, and reflecting on feedback. Develop confidence in evaluating evidence, creating management plans, and collaborating within a multidisciplinary team. Explore teaching and learning theories used in clinical education and use your expertise to mentor and train colleagues effectively.

Long-term Conditions (30 credits) – Optional

Develop your knowledge and skills in managing long-term conditions using a holistic approach within a multidisciplinary team across care sectors. Strengthen your ability to critically evaluate the evidence for managing long-term conditions, while considering the importance of health promotion and public engagement. Create a portfolio showcasing your expertise in caring for patients with long-term conditions and your ongoing professional development.

Practice Certificate in Independent Prescribing for Pharmacists – Optional

Prescribing is fully integrated into this course offering a seamless pathway to becoming a qualified prescriber. Build on the knowledge and skills gained throughout the course to facilitate your transition into independent prescribing.

This module is accredited by The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) and leads to a Practice Certificate in Independent Prescribing for Pharmacists. A separate application is required for this course.

MSc and MSc Top-Up Only

Research Project (60 credits)

Gain a comprehensive understanding of research methods, including ethical, theoretical, and logistical considerations. Learn to critically evaluate research literature, and design, justify, and carry out research in your chosen clinical field. Develop the ability to communicate research findings effectively and identify ways to apply them to improve healthcare practice.

Facilities

Onsite facilities include state-of-the-art equipment for pharmacy. On-campus teaching for clinical skills is held within the Living Lab in the John Dawson Sciences Complex, which boasts multi-disciplinary laboratories and cutting-edge equipment thanks to multi-million pound investments. Online facilities include the use of the VLE Canvas where software such as reVIEW and Storyline are utilised to deliver the course.

Entry requirements

We don’t currently display entry requirements for United States. Please contact the Student Admin team on studentadmin@sunderland.ac.uk or 0191 515 3154.

Applicants should preferably work in a patient-facing clinical role. Before applying, we strongly recommend securing an educational supervisor; they can be based in your workplace or provide remote support if needed.

Your educational supervisor should be suitably experienced, with at least three years post-registration experience. They will play a key role in assessing workplace-supervised learning events (SLEs) and supporting your overall progress throughout your learning journey.

For the PgDip, MSc, and MSc Top-Up we require:

Registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)
Current employment as a pharmacist in the UK
Your undergraduate degree should be recognised by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)

For the MSc Top-Up we also require:

Postgraduate Diploma in Clinical Pharmacy (or equivalent postgraduate pharmacy programme; this will be assessed for relevance by the team on application)

If English is not your first language, please see our English language requirements.

Fees and finance

Tuition fees are:

£500 per 10 credits if you are from the UK/Ireland/EU settled/pre-settled

Each year of the course requires 60 credits to complete.

Learn more about settled status, pre-settled status, special discounts, visa requirements, and Common Travel Area (CTA) agreements for the Republic of Ireland applicants in our Help and Advice article.

This information was correct at the time of publication.

Career ready

We encourage you to plan your career progression with your employer.

On completing this course you will be equipped with the advanced skills and knowledge specifically needed for progression into various senior pharmacist roles.

A promotion to a higher band of pay can quickly ensure a good return on your investment in the course.

Related courses

Contact

Contact the Student Helpline for further information about studying at the University of Sunderland:

0191 515 3000

student.helpline@sunderland.ac.uk

View Programme Specifications for the Faculty of Health Sciences and Wellbeing.

Page last updated: 13 February 2025

We aim to provide clear, accurate and timely information to prospective and current students. We continuously review and enhance course content in consultation with our students and the information provided on our website is the latest available. If you have received an offer from us to start a course, we will communicate any important changes to you in writing. We will always seek to ensure that our prospective students are fully aware of the basis on which they are accepting an offer.