Program Overview

Drugs and Therapeutics: Safety, Efficacy and Rational Use

Course Fact File

• Code: PF6010
• Duration: 8 weeks
• Teaching Mode: Part-Time
• Fees: €1,470
• Closing Date: 06/09/2025
• Course Delivery Method: Online
• Credits: 10
• Start Date: 06/10/2025

Outline

Module Objective

To develop a higher understanding of the principles of safe, effective and rational use of medicines in the clinical setting, in particular in palliative care; the mechanism of adverse drug reactions and drug interactions; medication errors and their prevention/reporting and the management of substance abuse.

Module Content

• Pharmacokinetics, how drugs are handled in vivo and the clinical relevance of pharmacokinetics in practice
• Pharmacogenetics and its clinical applications
• The use of pharmacovigilance to monitor drug safety in practice
• The pharmacist's role in the area of drug monitoring and managing drug-related side effects
• The various mechanisms of drug-drug interactions
• The ways medication errors can occur and the pharmacist's role in minimising their occurrence
• The pharmacist's role in the management of substance abuse and in the pharmaceutical care of the palliative care patient
• The use of pharmaceutical care planning to ensure the rational use of medicines

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this module, students should be able to:

• Critically evaluate the benefit/risk evaluation of drugs in order to ensure the rational use of medicines
• Identify the mechanisms of adverse drug reactions, drug-drug, drug-disease and drug-gene interactions and how they can be prevented
• Analyse how medication errors occur, how they can be prevented and use pharmacovigilance to monitor drug safety in practice
• Discern the clinical relevance of pharmacokinetics, therapeutic drug monitoring and pharmacogenomics in practice
• Describe harm reduction principles in terms of substance misuse and apply these principles when providing services such as opiate substitution treatment and needle exchange services
• Apply principles of safe, effective and rational use of drugs to pharmaceutical care planning and medication usage/review, in particular to the palliative care patient

Additional Teaching Mode Information

• 2 x 2hr(s) Seminars (Teleconferences/webinars)
• Placements (30 hrs Clinical Placement)
• Directed Study (120 hours)

Assessment

• Continuous Assessment
• Oral if required

Requirements

• Applicants must be registered with the relevant professional accreditation authority and must provide proof of this registration (via professional registration number which can be verified) and a birth certificate or valid passport in order to register
• Candidates must hold a primary pharmacy degree from a School of Pharmacy that is approved by the Programme Committee
• They must be registered with the professional accreditation authority in the country in which they are practising
• Ideally candidates should have practical experience in their area of qualifications of at least two years post-registration
• All candidates will be required to have full access to computer and internet facilities and to be computer literate
• Candidates must be employed in a healthcare setting
• In some exceptional circumstances candidates, by virtue of their training and experience may, at the discretion of the Programme Director and the Head of School, be deemed suitable for entry to the degree

Fees and Costs

• The fee for this module is €1,470
• There is also a €35 application fee

How to Apply

• To apply for this module, gather any additional documents required (including a passport-style photo), copy of your degree parchment if not a previous UCC graduate
• The full module fee of €1505 will be payable on submission of your application