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Clinical pharmacy postgraduate courses, including Prescribing

Part-time, practice-based learning for UK practising pharmacists at all career stages.

Overview of courses

Advanced Programmes in Pharmaceutical Practice and Therapeutics (AP3T) are a suite of part-time master's-level courses for UK practising pharmacists. They combine academic development with a practice-orientated approach.

If you're looking to improve your clinical and other professional skills, these courses allow you to broaden your knowledge and apply it in your professional setting to deliver safer patient-focused care.

Each course is divided into units of study lasting 11 weeks. Many can be taken as stand-alone Continuing Professional Development (CPD) options, helping you develop knowledge and skills in medicines and therapeutics, while on the job. Units can also be combined to gain certificate, diploma or master's qualifications.

What we offer

  • Part-time and flexible learning opportunities
  • Work-based learning. Apply your learning directly into your professional setting to deliver safer, patient-focussed care
  • A comprehensive portfolio of courses, from CPD to MSc level
  • Excellent teaching support and learner networks
  • The choice to study a broad, multi-sector approach, or specialise in one sector of practice

We develop our courses in partnership with employers, to meet workforce development needs. They are also closely linked to relevant professional frameworks.

Courses available

Courses designed for pharmacists working in community pharmacy, primary care networks, general practice, community hospital and health and justice. Choose to study individual units, a PGCert, PGDip, or an MSc.

Courses designed for pharmacists working in hospital settings. Choose to study individual units, a PGCert, PGDip, or an MSc.

An MSc course designed to equip pharmacists in patient-facing roles with the skills needed to become advanced practitioners in either primary or secondary care.

pharmacist and patient standing in pharmacy

Individual units

All units can be studied on an individual CPD basis, and this is particularly common for the Independent Prescribing and Advanced Clinical Assessment units. The academic credits gained for these units can also be used to contribute to a larger award.

Become an Independent Prescriber, prepared for the workforce challenges of today and tomorrow.

Designed for prescribing pharmacists taking the next steps into advanced clinical roles including Advanced Clinical Practice.

Discover our full range of CPD units open to eligible healthcare professionals to help you improve your professional status and develop your career prospects.

A clinician checks a patient's blood pressure using a cuff around their upper arm.

Choosing the right MSc course for you

Our two MSc programmes allow you to develop advanced level knowledge and skills. Both pathways can be tailored to have a generalist or speciality emphasis through optional units. Some important differences should be considered in the context of your career development aims and practice setting.

Clinical Pharmacy Practice MSc

  • A flexible award with no compulsory units.
  • Suitable for pharmacists in a wide range of clinical roles.
  • Build evidence for a later application to be recognised as an advanced clinical practitioner or advanced pharmacist.

Advanced Clinical Pharmacy Practice MSc

  • A more structured course with several compulsory units covering the pillars of advanced practice.
  • Suitable for prescribing pharmacists in a role where they can develop advanced examination and reasoning skills.
  • Accredited by the NHS Centre for Advancing Practice as a direct route to ACP recognition.
AP3T ear and sample teaching session

How to apply

Please see individual course information for details of intake points, application deadlines and links to the relevant forms. Some courses have specific entry requirements, including a requirement for support from your employer.

Most of our students work in, or plan to work in, the NHS in some capacity, and so we follow the NHS Values Based Recruitment Guidance. We strongly believe in the NHS values and will be looking for them in our applicants. All applicants will be assessed on individual merit, as well as their understanding and practice of NHS values in pharmacy.

You can read more about the NHS values on the NHS website.

Fees

Course fees are based on the costs for individual units and can be combined in different ways to achieve named awards. The final fee for an award will depend on the combination of units taken in any given year. Please note that tuition fees are liable to increase annually for all University of Bath students.

Find out about tuition fees on the tuition fees page.

Understanding clinical pharmacy postgraduate courses

Find out more about our clinical pharmacy postgraduate courses and their available study pathways, and see which is right for you.

AP3T: Clinical Pharmacy Postgraduate Courses from University of Bath on Vimeo.

Contact us

We’re very happy to discuss possible routes of study with you. Contact us with any questions, or to arrange an appointment with a member of admin or teaching staff.