Foundation Degree in Pharmacy Practice

Foundation degree in Pharmacy Practice (FdPP)

Teaching

Each course includes lectures, seminars, laboratory work, small group work, practice based activities and assignments. There are also a number of placements throughout the programme, so you will benefit from both academic and practice-related environments.

Assessment

Assessment includes written examinations at the end of each year. All courses also have continuous assessment that contributes the remainder of the overall course mark. Continuous assessments include practical dispensing examinations, objective structured clinical examinations, presentations (individual and group), written reports, assessment of laboratory notebooks, case studies, essays and multiple choice questions.

Careers

Students completing the foundation degree with an average of equal to, or greater than, 40% are eligible to enter stage 2 of the MPharm programme. Students completing the MPharm are eligible to qualify as pharmacists (subject to passing a pre-registration year and examination). Alternatively successful foundation degree students may apply to transfer to the third and final year of the BSc in Pharmaceutical Sciences, though this would not entitle them to practise as a pharmacist.

It should be noted that the MPharm degree is the only route to registration as a pharmacist.

Features

Students aspiring to study pharmacy who may have done less well at their A levels (CCC vs BBB) at first sitting, can opt to take the foundation degree route to demonstrate that they have a solid grounding in science to sustain them through the MPharm programme.

Innovative new teaching facilities including clinical skills laboratory, an extensive network of teacher practitioners (seconded at least two days per week), leading edge research academics, and a programme which integrates three interlinked themes:

• The Patient, Disease and Drug Action
• Practitioner and Patient
• Medicines Design and Manufacture

Disability and Diversity

The School is committed to achieving equality of opportunity for all applicants, students and staff. Consequently the School complies with all relevant legislation.

Programme Structure

This programme covers the same 4 x 30 credit courses as the first year MPharm. Two of these courses are taught in each of the two years. In addition, first year students take two 15 credit courses designed to enhance their basic science knowledge prior to studying the courses in year two. Both years include courses based on extensive practice placements. Year one includes a 30 credit course designed around the placement, while in year 2 a practice based portfolio (60 credits) is developed. These help students to decide if pharmacy is the career for them.

Stage 1

• B1 (15 Credits): Essential Biological Sciences for Pharmacy.
• C1 (15 Credits): Essential Chemistry for Pharmacy.
• LRP1 (30 Credits): Learning Through Reflection on Practice 1: Practice Placement 1.
• PDDA1 (30 Credits): Body Systems 1: Human Anatomy & Physiology and an Introduction to Pathophysiology, Therapeutics and the Pharmacological Basis of Drug Action.
• PP1 (30 Credits): Pharmacy Practice 1.

Stage 2

• LRP2 (60 Credits): Learning Through Reflection on Practice 2: Practice Placement 2.
• MDM1 (30 Credits): Medicines Design and Manufacture 1.
• PDDA2 (30 Credits): Cellular Biology and Biochemistry.

Offer Levels

The Foundation Degree in Pharmacy Practice is a two year full-time programme of study. Which provides underpinning chemistry and biological sciences. It incorporates the first year of the MPharm programme together with weekly work placements in practice.

• All students are required to demonstrate basic literacy and numeracy skills as evidenced by GCSE (grades A-C) in English and Maths.
• 240 points at A2 level (including C in 2 science based subjects, one of which must be Chemistry).
• BTEC Nationals in a science based subject:
  • Diploma - Merit/Merit/Merit Overall
• Scottish Highers:
  • Higher Level - BBCCC, to include grade B in Chemistry plus one other science based subject at grade B.
  • Advanced Higher - CCC, to include grade C in Chemistry plus one other science based subject at grade C.
• Irish Leaving Certificate - 5 grade C's at higher level including C2 in Chemistry and 2 other science based subjects at grade C2.
• International Baccalaureate - An overall score of 28 points (13 at Higher Level), to include ≥ 4 in both Chemistry and one other science based subject.
• Access to Science - 54 credits at level 3, with an overall grade of merit.
• Greek Apolytirion - 16.1 > 18 in all directional subjects (must include Chemistry and at least one other science based subject). In addition students must have Maths and English 16 overall from the Apolytirion.
• Overseas applicants will be assessed on an individual basis based upon the UK Naric equivalent and must have an appropriate English language qualification and equivalent sciences background.
• Alternative English Qualifications:
  • IELTS at grade 6.5 in all categories
  • Cambridge English Advanced Certificate at grade C
  • TOEFL (Internet Based score of 87 or Paper Based score of 575).