FARM3130 – Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience (APPE)
Course description
Schedule, syllabus and examination date
Course content
The subject is a one semester advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE), with focus on solving drug related problems in active contact with the users of the pharmacy and with health care professionals. This is done through the student’s participation in all functions in a pharmacy, like handling of prescriptions, guidance on use of pharmaceuticals, logistics and economics/administration/leadership. The APPE period shall give the student training in using his/her knowledge and gain skills that can only be learned through practice, in such a way that a master in pharmacy can by means of his/her competence on pharmaceuticals contribute to advancement of health and quality of life for the individual and the society.
Learning outcome
After completing the course:
- you master all aspects of dispensing of pharmaceuticals to humans and animals as well as related products and services, inclusive use of technological solutions.
- you can use knowledge and skills from earlier courses in the execution of practice related and clinical tasks/projects and pharmaceutical services.
- you can communicate on pharma-related issues in an understandable manner with users and health care professionals, including specialists, and can contribute to interdisciplinary problem solving for best health outcomes, on individual level and society level.
- you can analyze ethical and juridical issues relating to contact with the users and health care professionals and understand and evaluate legislation texts.
- you can analyze, comprising of identifying, evaluating and handling drug related problems.
- you have?knowledge about pharmacy operation, including internal control, quality systems and drug preparedness.
Admission to the course
The course is only available to students enrolled at the Department of Pharmacy at the University of Oslo.
Formal prerequisite knowledge
Passed the exam in:
- FARM1100 – Pharmaceutical Chemistry
- FARM1110 – Pharmacology, Physiology and Cell Biology 1
- FARM1120 – Social Pharmacy
- FARM1130 – Pharmaceutically Based Organic Chemistry
- FARM1140 – Pharmacology, Physiology and Cell Biology 2
- FARM1150 – Pharmaceutical Based Biochemistry
- FARM2100 – Medicinal Chemistry
- FARM2110 – Pharmacotherapy 1
- FARM2120 – Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics
- FARM2130 – Pharmaceutical Analytical Chemistry
- FARM2140 – Pharmaceutical Microbiology
- FARM2150 – Formulation of Drugs and Quality Assurance in Drug Production
- FARM3100 – Pharmacognosy
- FARM3110 – Pharmacotherapy 2
- FARM3120 – Medicine Use and Public Health
- The compulsory HSE courses HMS0501 – Safety and Physical Environment, HMS0502 – Positive Learning Environment, HMS0503 – Laboratory Safety, HMS0506 – Patient Clinic Safety and HMS0507 – Fire Safety required for students at the 5-year Master`s Programme in Pharmacy.
Course exemption: Laws and regulations describing the overall learning outcome regulate the Pharmacy Programme. Exemptions are only granted if all learning outcomes in the course are covered.?
Overlapping courses
- 30 credits overlap with FRM4000 – Pharmaceutical Apprenticeship (discontinued).
Teaching
Practice in a pharmacy (and possibly adjacent institutions) with training in all aspects of the pharmacist’s job tasks under supervision of a pharmacist (MSc.). The student is expected to be at the pharmacy for 7,5 hours per day. Emphasis is placed on giving students the opportunity for training in interdisciplinary cooperation.
Submission of compulsory assignments of varying extent, completion of compulsory digital courses and digital training during the training period is a prerequisite for the exam, as well as supervisor`s recommendation for an approved APPE period. The assignments include training in assessments of prescription, communication, reflection and planning. There will be both written submissions, execution of digital courses and digital training.
During the APPE period, three gatherings at the UiO take place:
pre-practice (4? days, 7,5 hours per day)
mid-practice (3 days, 7,5 hours per day)
post-practice (2 days, 7,5 hours)
The teaching is conducted in the form of lectures, seminars, group work and role-playing.
Compulsory participation in the teaching must be completed and approved and compulsory submissions must be approved in order to be able to take the exam.
Read more about what applies in the event of absence from compulsory activities.
As?the?teaching involves laboratory and/or field work, you should consider taking out a separate travel and personal risk insurance. Read about your insurance cover as a student.
Access to a new practice period: In case a student's practice period is evaluated to not approved, it must be repeated. It is not allowed to have a practice period more than twice.
A student who has completed compulsory instruction and coursework and has had these approved, is not entitled to repeat that instruction and coursework. A student who has been admitted to a course, but who has not completed compulsory instruction and coursework or had these approved, is entitled to repeat that instruction and coursework, depending on available capacity.
Completed and approved internship is valid for 3 years.
Examination
Objective structured clinical examination (OSCE).
The exam consists of written, oral and practical assignments, where the student is tested in pharmaceutical knowledge, assessment and reasoning ability, problem solving, communication skills and linguistic communication and preception ability.
Examination:?OSCE is designed as a station exam. At each station the candidate gets one or more tasks that shall be solved within a specified time. Before the exam, information will be given on how many minutes there are allocated to each station. Precise time control will be kept, and there will be a short break between stations so the student manages to move from one station to another. Rest stations are inserted.
The apprenticeship at the pharmacy needs to be approved before the exam can be taken. The following are taken into consideration when the Department of Pharmacy is evaluating the apprenticeship:
- All compulsory assignments must be turned in and approved within the given deadlines.
- The advisor’s evaluation of the student in accordance with the appropriate evaluation form.
- Attendance:?Absence over 10 % will normally lead to the apprenticeship not being approved.
It is possible to take the exam up to 3 times. If you withdraw from the exam after the deadline or during the exam, this will be counted as an examination attempt.?
It will also be counted as one of the three?attempts to sit the exam for this course, if you sit the exam for one of the following courses:
Examination support material
At some stations there may be permitted aids such as calculator and/or written and/or electronic texts/images.?Casio FX-991EX calculators are handed out at the exam.?
Language of examination
The examination text is given in Norwegian. You may submit your response in Norwegian, Swedish or Danish.
Grading scale
Grades are awarded on a pass/fail scale. Read more about the grading system.
Resit an examination
This course offers both postponed and resit of examination. Read more:
More about examinations at UiO
- Use of sources and citations
- Special exam arrangements due to individual needs
- Withdrawal from an exam
- Illness at exams / postponed exams
- Explanation of grades and appeals
- Resitting an exam
- Cheating/attempted cheating
You will find further guides and resources at the web page on examinations at UiO.