PGDIP/MSc Postgraduate Diploma for Overseas Pharmacists (OSPAP)

Mode of delivery: Full-time, on campus (distance learning not available)

Duration: 9 months. There is an MSc route available and this would be full-time for 12 months; if you wish to be considered for this please state this in your personal statement & contact the admissions team on the email below.

Intake: Up to 54 students per year

Entry requirements:

• You must possess a pharmacy degree that enables you to register as a pharmacist with The General Pharmaceutical Council.
  

• You must have documented approval from the GPhC prior to applying to Aston University. This evidence must be obtained before you apply. Please note that it may take up to two months to gain approval from the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC). In order to secure a place for this course, we recommend that students apply for the GPhC approval before June of the year of entry and apply to Aston before July of the year of entry.

The GPhC have recently revised the evidence that they are willing to accept for English Language knowledge. Their requirements are listed below.

You are required to provide one of these three types of evidence:

• A recent pass of the academic version of International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test with an overall score of at least 7 and with no score less than 7 in each of the four areas of reading, writing, listening and speaking at one sitting of the test.
• A recent pharmacy qualification (i.e., a pharmacy qualification that would have enabled you to practise as a pharmacist in such countries) that has been taught and examined in English in a majority English speaking country (other than the UK) (e.g. Ireland, United States of America, Australia, New Zealand).
• Recent practise for at least two years as a pharmacy professional (pharmacy technician or pharmacist) in a majority English speaking country.

Aston University’s requirements are as follows:

• IELTS test of 7.0 overall, with no less than 7.0 in each section
• Or

• A recent qualification of 3 or more years in length that has been taught and examined in English in a majority English speaking country (i.e, UK, Ireland, USA, Australia, New Zealand).

• The information contained on this website details the typical entry requirements for this course for the most commonly offered qualifications. Applicants with alternative qualifications may wish to enquire with the relevant admissions teams prior to application whether or not their qualifications are deemed acceptable. For less commonly encountered qualifications this will be judged on a case-by-case basis in consultation with the academic admissions tutor.
  

S tart date : 13 September 2017

How to apply:

• Apply here

• The application deadline for international students is 1 August 2018.

• The application deadline for UK/EU students is 31 August 2018.

• If you are applying close to the deadline, please ensure you have all supporting documentation ready for the application. If the deadline has passed, we may still be able to consider you, so please contact us.

• Diploma: £11,500
• MSc: £17,200

• This course is for pharmacy graduates who gained their degree outside the United Kingdom. It enables pharmacists to convert their existing pharmaceutical qualification so it is recognised in the UK.
  

  Successful completion of the course will allow you to undertake a pre-registration placement, before applying to register as a Pharmacist with The General Pharmaceutical Council. You will also gain an Aston University Diploma. Aston University is not responsible for the provision of a pre-registration training place nor preparation for professional qualifying examinations.
  The programme focuses upon new developments in key pharmaceutical sciences, clinical pharmacy and pharmacy practice together with the study of health service delivery and pharmacy law and ethics within the UK.

  Learn more about the course in this video.

  • Professional Critical Skills: Covers core elements of the retrieval and use of pharmaceutical information, the theory and practice of personal and interpersonal skills including communication and IT skills, responding to symptoms and introduces students to the concepts of organised continuing professional development (CPD)

  • Applied Pharmacology a nd Therapeutics: Introduces therapeutics and develops an evidence-based approach to pharmacotherapy - covering diabetes, cardiovascular, respiratory, upper gastrointestinal and central nervous system disorders.

  • Practical Therapeutics: Focuses on you utilising your clinical knowledge in a criticial and systemic manner to deliver clinically appropriate outcomes for patients, including prescribing decisions. This will enable you to respond to varied clinical situations including patients with multiple pathologies or complex medical needs guided by evidence, legal frameworks, ethical practice and local guidance in a manner consistent with the patients needs.

  • Pharmaceutical Technology: Focuses on radiopharmacy, cytotoxics, parenteral nutrition, intravenous additives, and quality assurance

  • Pharmaceutics in Practice: Focuses on the role of drug delivery in patient care including advanced drug delivery techniques, biotechnology and clinical pharmaceutics

  • Pharmacy Law, Ethics and Practice: This covers background to UK and EU law – origins of law, political and legal frameworks, dispensing and the sale and supply of medicines in the UK, medicines legislation in the UK, legislation that affects the practice of pharmacy, health service structures in the UK and Europe, legislation governing pharmacy within the UK and EU and an overview of the comparable legislation for medicine, medical and pharmacy ethics including the UK code of ethics and pharmaceutical calculations.