Dip(CPD) Principles of Medicines Management
Course Overview
Medicines are essential tools in health and social care. Unfortunately, medication-related incidents remain one of the most frequently reported categories of patient safety incidents, accounting for about 10% of reports (1). Therefore, as a health and social professional, you must know the risks and understand safe working practices. This professional development programme will support you in learning the core concepts and practice of safe medication administration and medicine management.Our expert team will ensure your learning is relevant to your health and social care role. We'll consider the safe administration of a variety of medicines under supervision via different routes in various settings and within the legal and ethical frameworks. We'll support you in learning about basic pharmacology and developing your knowledge of specific drugs and their actions. We'll also cover holistic care and alternative treatment options.
We'll focus on the safe ordering, receiving, storage and disposal of medicines, including drugs controlled under a patient group direction (PGD) and infection control procedures. You'll learn about accurate drug record keeping using information technology and develop your skills in working with people receiving medical treatments and their carers. We'll also explore the importance of evidence-based practice within national and local policy guidelines.
A large proportion of your learning and some of the delivery will occur in your workplace through recognition of the skills and knowledge you develop on the job. We'll guide you in reflecting on your practice and how the skills and knowledge you gain in the workplace relate to the academic theory you've learned. You'll then take your learning back into the workplace, enhancing your practice further.
(1) https://www.england.nhs.uk/patient-safety/patient-safety-alerts/enduring-standards/standards-that-remain-valid/medication-safety/ accessed on 24 April 2024
Highlights
- During this short course, you'll develop drug calculation skills and learn about the safe administration of medicines via appropriate routes.
- You'll explore anatomy and physiology, drug pathways and how drugs act, and the impact of the physiological state on drug response and safety.
- You'll learn how to read prescriptions charts, prepare and administer medicines using appropriate equipment and dispose of medicines safely.
- We'll consider the importance of service user identification, safety checks and monitoring, maintaining accurate records of medications administered or omitted, and ensuring others do the same.
- We'll outline relevant legislation, frameworks, national and local policies, clinical governance, and formularies.
- You can benefit from the purpose-built health and research facilities here on campus, including our Clinical Simulation Suites.
- When you successfully complete this course, the University of Bolton will award you a Diploma of CPD in Principles of Medicine Management worth 20 credits at Level HE5.
Key Features
- The University of Bolton has been offering high-quality courses designed to meet the health and social care sector's needs for over 30 years, so we have the knowledge and experience to anticipate and respond to health and social care changes.
- Our approach to teaching and learning is student-centred, so we'll work with you on an individual basis, providing tailored help and support throughout your studies.
- You'll benefit from our teaching and research team's vast professional experience in health and social care and our close links with the social care sector, the NHS, and several voluntary and charitable organisations.
- Your employer may give you financial support to undertake this course, or you may be self-funded.
Entry Requirements
- You'll need to provide evidence of your ability to work at level HE5. This may take the form of a portfolio of work that demonstrates your academic potential.
- You'll be required to attend an interview, and depending on your qualifications, we may ask you to undertake an additional assessment(s) as part of the application process. You'll also need to meet the other non-academic entry requirements listed below.
- Admission to this programme is only available to candidates who meet the following criteria. 1) You must be employed in a role relevant to the programme. 2) You must have the right to live and work in the UK. 3) Your employer will need to agree to your participation in the programme.
- This course involves regulated activity so you must gain an Enhanced Disclosure certificate from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) before starting your studies. Charges are payable to cover the cost of the DBS Enhanced Disclosure application and annual registration with the online Update Service. (Normally your sponsoring organisation will organise this.) Please note that your DBS must have been completed within three years of the course start date.
- If English isn’t your first language, you’ll also need IELTS 6.0 with no less than 5.5 in any band (or equivalent). We also accept a range of other English language qualifications – please visit our English Language Requirements web page for more details.
Where changes are made to material information contained in this course description or a decision is taken to suspend a course between the offer of admissions and enrolment, we will inform applicants at the earliest possible opportunity and will outline the various options available to the applicant.
Career Opportunities
This course offers vital skills and knowledge in medicine administration and medicine management for health and social care. Your learning will be of great value in the workplace, supporting you to improve your practice and the care you provide to service users.
The academic and study skills you gain through this course will also support you if you wish to undertake extended study at the university level, for instance, a Foundation Degree in Health and Social Care.
Fees & Funding
Home/EU Fees
No fee information is currently available, please contact the University of Bolton’s Academic Fees team by emailing AcademicFees@bolton.ac.uk for more information.
International Fees
No fee information is currently available, please contact the University of Bolton’s Academic Fees team by emailing AcademicFees@bolton.ac.uk for more information.
Bursaries
Important note regarding tuition fees for the 2024-25 academic year: EU nationals who meet residency requirements (have settled or pre-settled status) may be eligible for 'Home' fee status. If you do not meet these residency requirements, overseas fees will apply. Irish citizens living in the UK or Ireland will be eligible for 'Home' fee status under the Common Travel Area arrangement. Please read the student finance for EU students web page on www.gov.uk for information.
The fees for a student's course of study will be set for the normal duration of that course subject only to inflationary increases – measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) recorded in March each year to take effect for subsequent start dates.
How to apply
Home Applicants
Course application details are unavailable at present
International Applicants
Course application details are unavailable at present
Partner Organisation Applicants
Course application details are unavailable at present
Teaching & Assessment
We use various learning, teaching and assessment methods to make this course as engaging and beneficial as possible. You can expect to participate in a mix of face-to-face, online and work-based education, including classroom work with formal lectures incorporating discussion and debate to address core concepts, interactive learning activities and problem-based learning.
You'll participate in practical workshops to develop your numeracy and medicine administration skills using case studies and online resources. You'll also benefit from scheduled tutorial support, meeting with the module tutor to discuss aspects of your studies and receiving personalised advice and guidance. Our e-learning platform, Moodle, allows you to undertake further study in a place and at a time that is convenient for you.
We emphasise learning at work and through work, so learning in your workplace will complement and enhance your university studies. The theory-practice link is of great importance, and we'll encourage you to reflect on your practice and draw from your practice experience.
Please be aware that self-directed study is a significant aspect of this programme. Indeed, most of your learning will occur during your personal study time. You'll need to engage in background reading and revision, prepare for seminar activities, work on assignments, and compile your work-based learning portfolio.
We use a variety of assessment methods. Some assessments contribute to your final module marks, while others help you identify your strengths and weaknesses and where you can seek extra support from course tutors. We'll expect you to complete a practical skills assessment, sit a written examination and complete a portfolio of evidence to demonstrate that you meet the competency requirements.
Modules
The modules listed below may be a mixture of compulsory and optional. You may not have the opportunity to study all the modules shown as part of the course.
- Principles of Medicines Management
Assessment methods
| Level | Assessment method |
|---|---|
| Level 1 | Practical exams 50% Written exams 50% |
Learning Activities
| Level | Activity |
|---|---|
| Level 1 | Guided independent study 60% Placement/study abroad 100% Scheduled learning and teaching activities 40% |
The university will use all reasonable endeavours to deliver your course as described in its published material and the programme specification for the academic year in which you begin your course. The university considers changes to courses very carefully and the university will minimise any changes. Please be aware that our courses are subject to review on an ongoing basis and changes may be necessary due to legitimate staffing, financial, regulatory and academic reasons. The content of course modules and mode of associated assessments may be updated on an annual basis. This is to ensure that all modules are up-to-date and responsive to employment and sector needs. The published course material and the programme specification contain indicative ‘optional modules’ that may be subject to change due to circumstances outside of our control. For this reason, we cannot guarantee to run any specific optional module.
