FARBPRA Pre-registration Training Course description

Through practical training at a pharmacy, the students will gradually develop a basis for mastering the professional role of pharmacist with a bachelor's degree. The main focus is to solve issues related to pharmaceuticals in active contact with the pharmacy's users and health personnel. The practical training period will allow the students to practise applying their knowledge and to acquire skills that can only be learnt through practice. This will contribute to promoting health and quality of life for individuals and society through active use of their expertise as pharmacists.

The student must have passed all the courses from the first year of study and may lack a maximum of one passed course from the second year.

After completing the course, the student should have the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge

The student

• can demonstrate broad knowledge of the pharmacist’s role in the core areas of the pharmacy
• can demonstrate broad knowledge of handling of drugs in the pharmacy
• can explain the pharmacy’s quality and internal control systems
• can describe and explain how requisition and the use of veterinary pharmaceuticals can contribute to ensuring good animal health and food safety
• can explain the use of relevant medical equipment
• can describe the national strategies for supply of medicinal products and medicinal product preparedness

Skills

The student

• can make independent assessments and dispense pharmaceuticals based on prescriptions or requisitions in accordance with laws and regulations
• masters guidance and professional advice that contributes to responsible and medically correct use of pharmaceuticals, based on evidence-based drug information
• can identify and solve problems related to pharmaceuticals
• can give advice about self-medication and inform users about the influence of lifestyle factors on health in dialogue with pharmacy users
• can carry out pharmaceutical services at a pharmacy
• can assess when self-care is sufficient and when a patient should be referred to other health personnel
• can use and follow up internal control systems, including the pharmacy’s procedures and non-conformity system
• can communicate pharmaceutical knowledge with confidence, both in writing and verbally, to all relevant groups of customers and health personnel

General competence

The student

• has insight into and an understanding of how medicine monitoring, quality systems and quality and preparatory work contribute to safe use of pharmaceuticals and increased patient safety
• has insight into and an understanding of his/her own limitations, can reflect on and be conscious of his/her own work and profession and the pharmacist’s role in the pharmacy, society and in cooperation with other health personnel
• has insight into and can identify, reflect on and handle ethical issues in pharmaceutical professional practice, showing respect for users of pharmaceutical services and providing guidance that safeguards the integrity and rights of users
• can reflect on the quality and validity of the information provided by different information sources
• has digital competence and can use digital tools and maintain digital security

The course comprises a four-month placement in a pharmacy. The work and teaching methods also comprise lectures and seminars where students work on assignments. Digital learning resources will be made available for the students in advance.

Discussion between the programme lecturers, practical training supervisors and students is facilitated via digital tools. Students will be closely followed up by a supervisor at the pharmacy and have regular supervisory sessions. During the practical training period, students work individually on written assignments related to the practical training.

The following must be approved in order to pass part 1 practical training:

• Written assignments related to the practical training, as set out in the practical training compendium

The written assignments are assessed by the practical training supervisor or lecturer from the programme. The students have up to three attempts to have the assignment approved during the practical training period. If a written assignment is not approved, it must be revised and re-submitted. A student who receives the assessment "not approved" on the first or second attempt will receive individual feedback and advice om what needs improvement to meet the requirements. If the third attempt at a written assignment is also not approved, practical training will be registered as "failed". This counts as one (1) attempt to pass practical training.

Note that there is an attendance requirement for practical training (90 percent). For more information about the attendance requirement for practical training, see ‘Assessment of external practical training’ in the main section of the programme description.

Combined assessment:

Part 1 Practical training:

Assessment of practical training. The minimum attendance requirement for the practical training period is 90%. For more information about the attendance requirement for practical training, see ‘Assessment of external practical training’ in the main section of the programme description.

Part 2 Exam

Individual oral/practical exam, up to 120 minutes.

Parts 1 and 2 must both be approved to pass the course. A pass is required in part 1 practical training to be able to take part 2 the practical exam. If the student fails part 1 (practical training period), they must normally retake the whole practical training period.

After completing the course, the student should have the following overall learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge

The student

• has knowledge of vocational education theory, vocational didactics and work methods relevant to the field
• has knowledge of adult learning
• is familiar with national and international research and development work of relevance to tertiary vocational education within the area of vocational pedagogy and the vocational field, and can update their expertise in the field
• is familiar with challenges related to place-based, web-based, and flexible educational pathways in tertiary vocational schools

Skills

The student

• can use the legislation and governing documents that are relevant to learning work in tertiary vocational education in Norway
• can use their knowledge of the vocation, vocational pedagogy and vocational didactics
• can plan, give grounds for and carry out varied learning work
• can tutor, assess and document students’ learning and development, and provide feedback that promotes reflection in learning work
• can familiarise themselves with specialist literature and take a critical approach to theories and sources of information

General competence

The student

• has insight into relevant tertiary vocational and professional ethical issues
• can build good relations with students and create a constructive and inclusive learning environment characterised by diversity and equality
• can disseminate and discuss issues relating to the vocation, vocational didactics and vocational pedagogy
• can use insight and engagement to motivate students in their learning processes
• can facilitate new ideas and innovation and the involvement of local businesses and the local community in the learning work

Students will document four coursework requirements; these are linked to the learning outcomes. Two individual and two group-based requirements (can be adapted on justification to and special agreement with the lecturer). The coursework requirements concern both the student’s own tertiary vocational teaching practice and the learning community in the programme. The coursework requirements must be approved before the student can take the exam. Required coursework that is not approved can be reworked and submitted for re-assessment twice before the ordinary exam.

Coursework requirement 1: Planning and implementation of learning work (in groups of two or three students).

The purpose is to practise the inductive vocational teaching method relevant to planning and implementing learning work.

• Preparation of a folder comprising a supervision document, with a scope of 1,200 to 1, 320 words. A plan for learning work, with a scope of 1,000 to 1,110 words. Also a professional reflection on the completed work with a scope of 1,000 to 1,110 words.

Coursework requirement 2: Plan for teaching practice (individual)

The purpose is to practise systematic planning and conscious use of vocational pedagogy principles

• Submission of a well-founded plan for vocational teaching practice (20 days) using the ‘practice planner form’. The plan is prepared in consultation with the teaching practice tutor in the student’s own workplace. The plan must be assessed and approved by the person responsible for the course.

Coursework requirement 3: Assessment (in groups of two or three students).

The purpose is for the group to assess the tertiary vocational students learning work.

• Prepare a video presentation comprising the following: Assessment of at least three tertiary vocational students' work, including the information on what form the assessments have taken and a critical reflection on their own assessment work. Learning work is carried out in the student's own workplace. Scope: seven to ten minutes.

Coursework requirement 4: Digital reflection (individual)

The purpose is for the students to reflect on their learning outcomes from the programme.

• Prepare a video presentation comprising a professional reflection on the used pedagogical and didactical principles for learning outcomes as a tertiary vocational teacher. The reflection must be academically grounded on the course syllabus. Scope: seven to ten minutes.

Vocational teaching practice

Practical pedagogy for Tertiary Vocational Education comprises 20 compulsory days of teaching practice. For further information, see the programme description.

Presence in teaching activities

It is expected that students are present in all teaching activities throughout the study-period. In all a minimum attendance of 80 % is required.Students who, due to illness or another documented valid reason, do not meet to the requirement for participation, shall agree on alternative activity(s) in each individual case with the teacher.For further information, see the programme description.

In order to take the exam the four requierd coursework must be approved, 20 days of practikal traning completed and present in mandatory teaching activities.

The final examination involves an individual submission of a video presentation in either English or Norwegian. This presentation should encompass a professional reflection on the learning outcomes of the course, as outlined in the course syllabus. The scope of the video presentation is 15-20 minutes. The exam must be academically grounded on the course syllabus and references and literature sources chosen by the students from their tertiary vocational teaching practice.

Resits/rescheduled exams

A reworked version of the video presentation submitted for the ordinary exam is submitted for the first resit. A new video presentation must be submitted for subsequent attempts.

• 20 credits overlap with the course FARMAPRA10 Pre-registration Training