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All qualifications and part qualifications submitted for public comment, or registered on the National Qualifications Framework, are public property. Thus, the only payment that can be made for them is for service and reproduction: it is illegal to sell this material for profit. If the material is reproduced or quoted, the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) should be acknowledged as the source. |
SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY |
REGISTERED QUALIFICATION: |
Master of Pharmacy in Advanced Clinical Pharmacy |
SAQA QUAL ID | QUALIFICATION TITLE | |||
90675 | Master of Pharmacy in Advanced Clinical Pharmacy | |||
ORIGINATOR | ||||
North West University | ||||
PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTIONARY | NQF SUB-FRAMEWORK | |||
CHE - Council on Higher Education | HEQSF - Higher Education Qualifications Sub-framework | |||
QUALIFICATION TYPE | FIELD | SUBFIELD | ||
Master's Degree | Field 09 - Health Sciences and Social Services | Curative Health | ||
ABET BAND | MINIMUM CREDITS | PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL | NQF LEVEL | QUAL CLASS |
Undefined | 192 | Not Applicable | NQF Level 09 | Regular-Provider-ELOAC |
REGISTRATION STATUS | SAQA DECISION NUMBER | REGISTRATION START DATE | REGISTRATION END DATE | |
Reregistered | SAQA 1141/23 | 2021-07-01 | 2024-06-30 | |
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT | LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT | |||
2025-06-30 | 2028-06-30 |
In all of the tables in this document, both the pre-2009 NQF Level and the NQF Level is shown. In the text (purpose statements, qualification rules, etc), any references to NQF Levels are to the pre-2009 levels unless specifically stated otherwise. |
This qualification does not replace any other qualification and is not replaced by any other qualification. |
PURPOSE AND RATIONALE OF THE QUALIFICATION |
Purpose:
This Master of Pharmacy: Advanced Clinical Pharmacy is a co-ordinated structured qualification aimed at education, training, research and practice. It builds upon knowledge, skills, attitudes and competence gained from an accredited professional Pharmacy Degree. The first part of the Master of Pharmacy: Advanced Clinical Pharmacy supports the planning and development of a research proposal and focuses on ethics, grant applications and communication skills. It also enhances the learner's general competencies in the support of optimal medication therapy outcomes and in the monitoring of patients with a broad range of disease states through basic science and practice and in the management of medication-use systems. The second part of the Master of Pharmacy: Advanced Clinical Pharmacy focuses on clinical research and the application of the detailed clinical knowledge gained in the first part of the qualification in patient assessments and hands-on case studies. Expertise is used proactively to ensure and advance rational drug therapy. Learners undertaking the Master of Pharmacy: Advanced Clinical Pharmacy, are provided the opportunity to further their growth beyond entry-level professional competence in patient-centred care, pharmacy management services and in leadership skills that can be applied in any position, regardless of the practice setting. It sets the basis for clinical research and adds the competencies that contribute to working successfully in the health care environment as a motivated and innovative pharmacist. Rationale: Training of pharmacists must comply with the Regulations of the South African Pharmacy Council (SAPC) and the latest international trends in the sector to move to a more clinical approach in the profession. The need for clinical pharmacists exists in South Africa with posts already created in the public and private sectors. With the shortage of pharmacists, especially pharmacists with clinical skills, people with inappropriate training are being appointed in newly created clinical pharmacist posts. A Master's Degree: Advanced Clinical Pharmacy provides a professional postgraduate training in pharmacy that supports this expanding role of pharmacists. It is multi-disciplinary and multi-factorial, focused on the function of the evolving clinical pharmacist, producing a well-equipped and clinically skilled pharmacist who can provide the patient with the required optimal high-level pharmaceutical care. |
LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING |
Knowledge of the fundamental principles and concepts of research and statistical methods at NQF Level 8.
Recognition of Prior Learning: Recognition of Prior Learning may be used to grant access to the qualification to learners who do not have sufficient formal academic achievement, but who have proven expertise and competency. Candidates may apply for exemption from certain modules on grounds of prior relevant study. Access to Qualification: An applicant must have completed a Bachelor Degree: Pharmacy (B.Pharm) and must hold a current registration as a pharmacist with the South African Pharmacy Council (SAPC). |
RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING? |
Y |
QUALIFICATION RULES |
The qualification comprises theoretical modules at NQF Level 9 worth a total of 128 credits and a research component which requires the production of an accepted mini-dissertation worth 64 credits.
All 192 credits must be obtained to be awarded the qualification. Modules: Research: |
EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES |
1. Manage and improve the medication-use process by ensuring a quality medication-use system.
2. Provide evidence-based, patient-centred medication therapy management within multi-disciplinary health care teams. 3. Exercise leadership and clinical practice management skills through the development, implementation, evaluation and provision of pharmaceutical care plans. 4. Provide advanced clinical services and practice-related evidence-based information, education and training to diverse specialists. 5. Utilise medical informatics and manage clinical audits of medicine utilisation. 6. Design, implement and justify clinical programmes to enhance the efficacy of patient care (protocol and guideline development as well as policies and procedures). 7. Perform clinical pharmacy research. Critical Cross-Field Outcomes: This qualification enables all the Critical Cross-Field Outcomes to be addressed. |
ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA |
The Assessment Criteria are applied in an integrated way to all Exit Level Outcomes:
Integrated Assessment: Assessment strategy focuses on competence, which is demonstrated and assessed through a variety of means, both formative and summative. Formative assessment includes individual assignments, projects or practical projects, group/syndicate assignments, case studies, written tests and presentations. Summative assessment includes written examination and practical component and may also include an oral examination, where applicable. |
INTERNATIONAL COMPARABILITY |
The University of Strathclyde in the United Kingdom offers a Master in Clinical Pharmacy.
The course enables pharmacists to acquire and apply knowledge of drug action in patient care and to develop the skills needed to promote the effective use of medicines in hospitals and in primary care. The modules cover the following: The University of South Australia offers a Master of Clinical Pharmacy. The one year qualification consists of the following modules: Curtin University in Western Australia also offers a Master of Pharmacy (Clinical Pharmacy). The qualification consists of the following modules: The University of Otago offers a Master of Clinical Pharmacy (MClinPharm) Degree that comprises both advanced-level taught papers and a research component. The qualification is designed for registered pharmacists working in professional areas such as community pharmacy, hospital pharmacy and industrial pharmacy who require advanced level knowledge and research skills to progress in their careers. Conclusion: The Master of Pharmacy: Advanced Clinical Pharmacy compares favourably with the four international qualifications indicated. The focus of all these qualifications is to produce a specialist clinical pharmacist who is capable of providing advanced pharmaceutical services in hospitals and other clinical environments, thereby enhancing the control and quality use of all types of medication. |
ARTICULATION OPTIONS |
This qualification articulates horizontally with the following qualifications:
This qualification articulates vertically with the following qualifications: This articulation can be within the institution or with other institutions offering similar qualifications. |
MODERATION OPTIONS |
Course content, assignments and examinations (papers and scripts) will be subjected to internal and external moderation.
External moderators are selected based on their expertise in the particular field of study, covered by the specific modules. |
CRITERIA FOR THE REGISTRATION OF ASSESSORS |
Any assessor must be a recognised expert in the discipline or sub-field and hold a qualification in the relevant discipline at a higher NQF Level than that of the modules being assessed.
The assessor should be currently hold a teaching position or have 3 years' experience of teaching in the higher education milieu, or be recognised by academic peers as an authority in the particular discipline. |
NOTES |
N/A |
LEARNING PROGRAMMES RECORDED AGAINST THIS QUALIFICATION: |
NONE |
PROVIDERS CURRENTLY ACCREDITED TO OFFER THIS QUALIFICATION: |
This information shows the current accreditations (i.e. those not past their accreditation end dates), and is the most complete record available to SAQA as of today. Some Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionaries have a lag in their recording systems for provider accreditation, in turn leading to a lag in notifying SAQA of all the providers that they have accredited to offer qualifications and unit standards, as well as any extensions to accreditation end dates. The relevant Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionary should be notified if a record appears to be missing from here. |
1. | North West University |
All qualifications and part qualifications submitted for public comment, or registered on the National Qualifications Framework, are public property. Thus, the only payment that can be made for them is for service and reproduction: it is illegal to sell this material for profit. If the material is reproduced or quoted, the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) should be acknowledged as the source. |