Pharmacy Programme Programme description

The Bachelor’s Programme in Pharmacy is a three-year programme of professional study (180 credits). Students who complete the programme are awarded the degree of Bachelor’s Degree in Pharmacy, which forms the basis for authorisation as a prescriptionist in accordance with the Act relating to Health Personnel etc.

The title of pharmacist covers both the Norwegian titles reseptarfarmasøyt (pharmacist with a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy) and provisorfarmasøyt (pharmacist with a master’s degree in pharmacy). It is only the pharmacies’ pharmaceutical personnel who are independently entitled to dispense prescription pharmaceuticals or pharmaceuticals on requisition, which in accordance with applicable distribution regulations, must be subject to control by a pharmacist, cf. the Pharmacies Act Section 4-4.

The programme description has been drawn up on the basis of the National Regulations relating to a Common Curriculum for Health and Social Care Education and the Regulations on national guidelines for pharmacy education adopted by the Ministry of Education and Research. The programme was established under the Act relating to Universities and University Colleges and the Regulations relating to Studies and Examinations at OsloMet – Oslo Metropolitan University.

Bachelor’s Programme in Pharmacy – vocational competence and work tasks

The task of a pharmacist with a bachelor’s degree is to provide pharmaceutical services to the public in the form of advice and guidance, thereby helping to ensure correct and rational use of pharmaceuticals by individuals and in society at large.

The programme helps students to develop into responsible and reflected professionals who are qualified and in demand in their field of work. The students are expected to acquire the knowledge, skills and competence necessary to be granted authorisation as a pharmacist with a bachelor’s degree, and thereby also be entitled to dispense pharmaceuticals in Norwegian pharmacies.

Knowledge of pharmaceuticals and their application is a crucial basis for practising the profession. Pharmacists have knowledge of and skills in the production of pharmaceuticals, knowledge of the effect of pharmaceuticals on the body, and about the use and misuse of pharmaceuticals. Pharmacists must have basic theoretical knowledge attained from different topics and approaches in the field of pharmacy, and an understanding of good problem-solving in cooperation with users of pharmaceuticals, colleagues and other partners.

The pharmacy is an important supplier of pharmaceuticals to hospitals, nursing homes and home-based care services. The tasks undertaken by a pharmacist require contact and cooperation with other health personnel, such as doctors, dentists, nurses and veterinarians. Pharmacists are increasingly becoming part of an interdisciplinary team, where different healthcare professionals arrive together at the best pharmaceutical treatments for patients/users of pharmaceuticals. Relational and communication skills, including good oral and written presentation skills in Norwegian, are thereby an essential part of a pharmacist’s expertise and are used daily in their work.

Relevance to working life

OsloMet – Oslo Metropolitan University educates bachelor’s degree candidates in pharmacy, most of whom go on to work at pharmacies. Authorised pharmacists with a bachelor’s degree can work in middle management or management positions at pharmacies. The candidates may also be suitable for a variety of positions in the primary and specialist health service, in public administration and in the pharmaceutical industry.

Relevance to further education

Students who complete the Bachelor’s Programme in Pharmacy are qualified for admission to several master’s degree programmes. Master’s degree programmes in pharmacy offered at Oslomet – Oslo Metropolitan University, the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and UiT the Arctic University of Norway are particularly relevant. The Master’s Programme in Health and Technology at OsloMet may also be relevant.

Samlingene vil bygge på temaforelesninger og studentaktive studieformer med refleksjon og erfaringsdeling rundt praksisrelaterte arbeidskrav, samt praktiske øvelser. Mellom samlingene skal studentene arbeide med arbeidskrav på eget arbeidssted.

Arbeidsformene er en viktig del av studiet, og bidrar til studentenes faglige og personlige utvikling og økt refleksjonsnivå. Arbeidsformer kan for eksempel være:

• Forelesning
• Arbeid i læringsgrupper
• Gi og motta veiledning ved egentrening individuelt og i grupper
• Skriftlige oppgaver
• Arbeid med kasusoppgaver
• Studentfremlegg

Studietilbudet er samlingsbasert med fem samlinger i høstsemesteret og fem samlinger i vårsemesteret. Hver samling går over to dager, og det forutsettes at studentene arbeider selvstendig med studiene mellom samlingene, blant annet gjennom refleksjonsoppgaver og aktivt arbeid med pensumlitteratur.

Følgende yrkesdidaktiske og pedagogiske prinsipper ligger til grunn for valg av arbeidsformer: Praksisorientering, problemorientering, eksemplarisk læring, erfaringslæring, opplevelsesorientering, verdiorientering og studentinnflytelse.

Det gjøres bruk av varierte og fleksible undervisningsformer, blant annet dialogbaserte forelesninger, erfaringsdeling i grupper og plenum, omvendt undervisning, gruppearbeid, gi og få veiledning, prosjektarbeid med tilhørende presentasjoner, individuelt arbeid, selvstudium, muntlige fremlegg, bruk av digitale verktøy, samt bruk av universitetets elektroniske plattformer (for eksempel Canvas og Teams). Til nettundervisningen benyttes Zoom.

Mellom samlingene skal studentene gjennomføre arbeidsoppgaver og arbeidskrav på egen eller annen egnet arbeidsplass.

Studiet forutsetter at studentene er aktive deltakere på og utenom samlinger, og at de bidrar med refleksjon og erfaringer i det læringsfellesskapet klassen utgjør.

Arbeidskrav skal bidra til å sikre at studentene er aktive og medansvarlige for studieprogresjon. Alle arbeidskrav må være godkjent for å kunne gå opp til eksamen. Arbeidskrav skal være levert/utført innen fastsatte frister. Gyldig fravær dokumentert med for eksempel sykemelding, gir ikke fritak for å innfri arbeidskrav. Studenter som på grunn av sykdom eller annen dokumentert gyldig årsak ikke leverer/utfører arbeidskrav innen fristen, kan få forlenget frist. Ny frist for å innfri arbeidskrav avtales i hvert enkelt tilfelle med den aktuelle læreren.

Arbeidskrav vurderes til «godkjent» eller «ikke godkjent». Studenter som leverer/utfører arbeidskrav innen fristen, men som får vurderingen «ikke godkjent», har anledning til én ny innlevering/utførsel. Studenten må da selv avtale ny innlevering av det aktuelle arbeidskravet med faglærer.

Nærmere informasjon om arbeidskrav finnes i den enkelte emneplan og i undervisningsplanen studentene får ved semesterstart.

Ettersom studiet har et praksis- og utviklingsorientert fokus, med vekt på studentenes egne erfaringer er det krav om 80% tilstedeværelse hvert semester for å kunne avlegge eksamen.

• Udokumentert fravær som overskrider20 % medfører at studenten ikke får avlegge eksamen
• Studenter som ikke har anledning til å delta på deler av samlingene, kan måtte utføre et skriftligarbeid for å kompensere fraværet, selv om det ikke overskrider 20 %

Arbeidskrav skal være levert innen fastsatte frister. Gyldig fravær dokumentert med for eksempel sykemelding, gir ikke fritak for å innfri arbeidskrav. Studenter som på grunn av sykdom eller annen dokumentert gyldig årsak ikke leverer arbeidskrav innen fristen, kan få forlenget frist etter avtale med faglærer. Ny frist for å innfri arbeidskrav avtales i hvert enkelt tilfelle med den aktuelle læreren.

Arbeidskrav vurderes til «Godkjent» eller «Ikke godkjent». Studenter som leverer arbeidskrav innen fristen, men som får vurderingen «Ikke godkjent», har anledning til én ny innlevering. Studenten må da selv avtale ny innlevering av det aktuelle arbeidskravet med faglærer. Studenter som ikke leverer arbeidskrav innen fristen og som ikke har dokumentert gyldig årsak, får ingen nye forsøk.

Faglig innhold og arbeidsmåter i studiet er knyttet til erfaringsdeling og utvikling av praktiske ferdigheter. Slik læring og ferdigheter kan ikke tilegnes ved selvstudium, men må opparbeides gjennom reell dialog med medstudenter og lærere, både på og mellom samlinger, og ved tilstedeværelse i undervisningen. Det er derfor krav om 80 prosent tilstedeværelse på de synkrone samlingene. Fravær ut over 20 prosent må kompenseres ved et ekstra arbeidskrav etter avtale med faglærer.

Alle arbeidskrav må være godkjente for å kunne avlegge eksamen. Nærmere informasjon om arbeidskravene finnes i den enkelte emneplan.

Eksamenskandidatens rettigheter og plikter framgår av forskrift for studier og eksamen ved OsloMet – storbyuniversitetet. Forskriften beskriver blant annet vilkår for ny/utsatt eksamen, klageadgang og hva som regnes som fusk ved eksamen. Kandidaten har plikt til å gjøre seg kjent med bestemmelsene i forskriften.

• Første semester: Yrkesdidaktikk og bærekraft i arbeidslivsfaget (YDEP6100 ) - 15 stp - skriftlig individuell hjemmeeksamen - vurderingsuttrykk: A-F

• Andre semester: Entreprenøriell læring i arbeidslivsfaget (YDEP6200), 15 stp - Multimodal presentasjon i gruppe - vurderingsuttrykk: Bestått/Ikke bestått

Nærmere beskrivelse av den enkelte eksamen finnes i emneplanene.

Programplan godkjent av utdanningsutvalget ved LUI 29.11.2021

Required coursework is all types of work, tests and compulsory attendance that are requirements for being permitted to take the exam. Required coursework is assessed as approved/not approved. The coursework requirements for each course are described in the respective course descriptions.

The primary purpose of coursework requirements is to contribute to the students' progress and academic development, and to stimulate the students to master the subject matter. The programme has coursework requirements in the form of compulsory attendance and laboratory assignments. Other coursework requirements may apply; see the course descriptions for more information.

Compulsory attendance

Attendance is compulsory for teaching activities that cover subject matter that the student cannot acquire on his or her own, or in teaching activities where cooperation with fellow students is a precondition for carrying out the activities.

A minimum attendance of 80% is required at seminars and compulsory scheduled and supervised group work. A minimum of either 80% or 90% attendance is required for skills training (laboratory courses and practical handling of prescriptions). Other activities may also be subject to compulsory attendance requirements. Detailed provisions on compulsory attendance are set out in the course descriptions and teaching plans.

The attendance requirements must be met before the student can take the exam in the course. Students will be contacted if they are at risk of exceeding the maximum limit for absence. If it emerges that a student has exceeded the limit for absence, the lecturer must assess whether and how the student can compensate for the absence. Whether or not it is possible to compensate for absence depends on the extent of the student's absence and which activities they have missed. Absence from compulsory teaching activities that cannot be compensated for may lead to delayed progress in the programme.

Laboratory reports

In certain laboratory courses, the student must document his/her laboratory work through written reports (lab reports).

Reports that are not approved after the first submission must be improved and re-submitted.

Different forms of assessment are used in the programme that are adapted to the learning outcomes of the different courses. The forms of assessment used are intended to support learning and document that the students’ competence is adequate in relation to the applicable learning outcomes. The students will receive advice and supervision and have their performance assessed during the programme. It is important and necessary to assess students’ knowledge and skills often, so that they receive feedback on whether their performance is in line with the programme's requirements and whether they have achieved the learning outcomes.

Exams and practical training are assessed in accordance with the applicable rules set out in the Act relating to Universities and University Colleges, the Regulations relating to Studies and Examinations at OsloMet and the Guidelines for Appointment and Use of Examiners at OsloMet.

The forms of assessment are described in the individual course descriptions. All exams taken will be stated on the diploma, along with the title of the student's bachelor's thesis.

Exams

All courses conclude with an exam. The assessment is based on the learning outcome descriptions for the course, and it is assessed whether the student has achieved the stipulated learning outcomes. The grades pass/fail or letter grades from A to F are used, with A being the highest grade and E the poorest pass grade. The grade F means that the student has failed the exam.

In some courses, the exam consists of more than one part. The student's performance in each part of the exam is assessed by a separate grade, before a final overall grade is awarded. For courses that use exams consisting of more than one part, the course description will state how the final grade for the course is arrived at on the basis of the separate grades awarded for the different parts of the exam.

Most courses have required coursework that must be approved before the student can take the exam. See the course descriptions for more details.

Resit and rescheduled exams are carried out in the same manner as the ordinary exam unless otherwise specified in the course description.

For exams where a percentage of the exam papers are selected for assessment by an external examiner, the external examiner's assessment must benefit all the students. In such cases, one external and one internal examiner will first grade the selected papers. The internal examiner then continues grading the remaining papers together with another internal examiner. The assessments from the first part are summarised to serve as guidelines for the assessments carried out by the two internal examiners.

Grades awarded for written exams can be appealed, cf. Section 5-3 of the Act relating to Universities and University Colleges. It is not possible to appeal the grades awarded for oral and practical exams. In a group exam, the result of an appeal will only have consequences for the candidates who have submitted the appeal. This means that all members of the group do not have to participate in the appeal.

Assessment of external practical training

Supervised external practical training is assessed as pass/fail. The assessment is based on the course’s learning outcomes, the assessment criteria and the continuous suitability assessment conducted throughout the practical training period.

To pass the practical training, the student must have met the compulsory attendance requirement. The student must attend at least 90% of the scheduled time. The attendance requirement applies both to time spent at the practical training establishment and any teaching activities provided as part of the programme. The following also applies to absence:

• Less than 10% absence: The student can complete the practical training course as normal.
• Between 10–20% absence: The student can make up for the practical training/teaching missed, if this is doable. This must be agreed with the practical training supervisor and the person responsible for the course at the university.
• More than 20% absence: The student must normally retake the whole practical training course. This will result in delayed progress in the programme.

If the student exceeds the maximum limit for absence, the practical training course will be registered as failed and count as an attempt. Other criteria for passing the practical training are set out in the manual for practical training at a pharmacy and the programme’s own practical training compendium.

Suitability

Diplomas for the completed programme will only be awarded to graduates who are suited to practise the profession. A student who represents a potential threat to the physical or mental health, rights and safety of their patients and colleagues is not suited for the profession.

Suitability assessments are made on a continuous basis throughout the study programme, and will be included in the overall assessment of the students' professional and personal suitability for work as health personnel. Students who demonstrate little ability to master the pharmacist profession must be informed of this at the earliest possible stage of the programme. They will be given supervision and advice on how to improve, or be advised to leave the programme. Special suitability assessments are used in exceptional cases, cf. the Regulations concerning Suitability Assessment in Higher Education.

Programme description

Approved by the Academic Affairs Committee at the Faculty of Health Sciences on 14 October 2020.

Most recent amendments approved by the Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences on 18 December 2023.

Applies to students starting the programme in 2024.