SMPS20038U Contemporary Social Pharmacy

Volume 2020/2021
Education

MSc Programme in Pharmaceutical Sciences (English programme): Study track III ('Medicines and Society' track) - compulsory

MSc Programme in Pharmaceutical Sciences (English programme): Study track I and II - restricted elective

MSc Programme in Pharmacy (Danish programmes cand.pharm) - elective

MSc Programme in Pharmaceutical Sciences (Danish programme cand.scient.pharm) - restricted elective

MSc Programme in Medicinal Chemistry - elective

All KU programmes as elective course.

Content

The aim of the course is to improve the students’ understanding of contemporary social pharmacy i.e. current challenges to rational use of medicine as well as to improve students' ability to work independently in a group and problem-oriented in order to help resolve relevant problems in the field.

The course starts with an introduction to social pharmacy from an international perspective, including important stakeholders in the field. Each year the course will focus on a new contemporary social pharmaceutical topic (such as fore instance the increase of antibiotic resistance, mental diseases, interdisciplinary health care work or prioritization of medicines) which also will be introduced at the start of the course. Students read literature and are presented to different actors’ perspectives with the contemporary social pharmacy theme in place through a number of class seminars.

Thereafter the students investigate a sub-topic within the annual social pharmacy theme and work in groups to gain insight into this by seeking information from different sources, e.g. scientific and grey literature and from different actors within the area. From the increased understanding regarding the background and identified social challenges, the students develop social innovative solutions to these challenges. They also gain insight into innovation processes linked to social challenges as well as into how to present appropriate solutions (i.e. rhetorics). The students receive supervision in relation to this work.

Learning Outcome

Knowledge

  • describe contemporary social pharmacy challenges within a specific topic
  • describe the actions which have been applied so far to try to resolve the identified challenges
  • identify key actors within the specific topic
  • describe and discuss different phases in an innovation process related to social challenges
  • describe and discuss basic rhetorical principles in oral and written professional dissemination, that may support the argumentation for a change

 

Skills

  • take responsibility for a small project on how to tackle contemporary social pharmacy challenges, at national or international level (conducted according to the principles and phases of an innovation process)
  • as part of this process to gain in-depth understanding of the specific topic in place
  • undertake analyses of the complexity of reasons for, and solutions to, identified challenges
  • argue convincingly for suggested solutions

 

Competencies

  • work independently in groups, and manage this work
  • work project-oriented in a constructive way
  • analyze complex contemporary social pharmacy challenges
  • present innovative solutions to challenges in a convincing way
  • identify one’s own group’s needs for supervision

The literature will consist of different materials relating to the selected social pharmacy theme as well as rhetoric, innovation processes, team-work and relevant methods of analysis. 

Teaching is based on the assumption that the students have acquired knowledge, skills and competences corresponding to those obtained by completion of the first five semesters of the BSc Programme in Pharmacy.
The course focuses on interactive development-orientated teaching methods and will incorporate different elements needed in order for the student to be able to work project-oriented and independently. Teaching methods will fore instance constitute: group work (mainly problem-based focus), excursions, different feed-back methods, reflective team methods (including presentions), etc.
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Class Instruction
  • 36
  • Preparation
  • 36
  • Project work
  • 106
  • Guidance
  • 3
  • Exam Preparation
  • 13
  • Exam
  • 12
  • Total
  • 206
Written
Oral
Collective
Continuous feedback during the course of the semester
Credit
7,5 ECTS
Type of assessment
Continuous assessment
The students develop in their group a written report and an oral presentation on their work, including process description, and also arguing for the choice of social innovative solution(s) to identified problems. The report and presentation are first discussed with and evaluated by other course participants, and by invited relevant actors in the field. Evaluation of student´s knowledge, skills and competencies will constitute the assessment frame for both other course participants, invited relevant actors and internal evaluator. The final decision as to whether the course has been passed, will be made by the examiner.
The invited relevant actors will be selected when the specific year topic has been decided upon.
Aid
All aids allowed
Marking scale
passed/not passed
Censorship form
No external censorship
Criteria for exam assesment

Knowledge

  • describe and discuss contemporary social pharmacy challenges within a specific topic
  • describe the activities which have been applied so far to try to resolve the identified challenges
  • identify central actors within the specific topic

 

Skills

  • undertake analyses of the complexity of reasons for and solutions to identified challenges

 

Competencies

  • present innovative solutions to challenges in a convincing way
  • provide constructive feedback to work made by fellow students