OSPAP - Overseas Pharmacists Assessment Programme

The Overseas Pharmacists Assessment Programme (OSPAP) is accredited by the RPSGB, and is designed to ensure that persons who successfully complete the programme obtain an adequate level of knowledge and understanding of pharmacy and its practice to enable them to commence pre-registration training in Great Britain.

Holders of pharmacy qualifications can only apply to join the OSPAP if they are registered or eligible to register as pharmacists in their country of qualification.

Persons who have successfully completed the OSPAP must then complete pre-registration training approved by the RPSGB, and pass the Society's registration examination, before they can apply to join the Register.

There are a number of universities in the UK that run the Diploma course necessary to complete the Overseas Pharmacists Assessment Programme

The course is for pharmacy graduates who gained their degree outside the UK. It enables pharmacists to convert their existing pharmaceutical qualification so it is recognised in the UK.
Successful completion of the course will allow you to undertake a pre-registration placement in industry, before applying to the UK Register of Pharmaceutical Chemists.

The Universities are not responsible for the provision of a pre-registration training place nor preparation for professional qualifying examinations.
The programme focuses upon new developments in key pharmaceutical sciences, clinical pharmacy and pharmacy practice together with the study of health service delivery and pharmacy law and ethics within the UK.

Modules

• Professional Critical Skills - Covers core elements of the retrieval and use of pharmaceutical information, the theory and practice of personal and interpersonal skills including communication and IT skills, responding to symptoms and introduces students to the concepts of organised continuing professional development (CPD)

• Applied Pharmacology and Therapeutics (modules I and II) - Introduces therapeutics and develops an evidence-based approach to pharmacotherapy - covering diabetes, cardiovascular, respiratory, upper gastrointestinal and central nervous system disorders

• Pharmaceutical Care - Focuses upon the clinical use of medicines and the use of medicines for individual patients.  This module provides an integrated approach to care in the primary and secondary sectors and provides all students with structured hospital-based, clinical study

• Evidence-Based Practice and the Public's Health - This complements the study of pharmaceutical care and therapeutics by developing evaluation skills geared to the medicines management. The module also develops and promotes professional awareness as a basis for future practice, e.g. prescribing

• Pharmaceutical Technology - Focuses on radiopharmacy, cytotoxics, parenteral nutrition, intravenous additives, and quality assurance

• Pharmaceutics in Practice - Focuses on the role of drug delivery in patient care including advanced drug delivery techniques, biotechnology and clinical pharmaceutics

• Pharmacy Law, Ethics and Practice - This covers background to UK and EU law - origins of law, political and legal frameworks, dispensing and the sale and supply of medicines in the UK, medicines legislation in the UK, legislation that affects the practice of pharmacy, health service structures in the UK and Europe, legislation governing pharmacy within the UK and EU and an overview of the comparable legislation for medicine, medical and pharmacy ethics including the UK code of ethics and pharmaceutical calculations.

Requirements

• Candidates must possess a pharmaceutical degree to enable them to register as a practising pharmaceutical chemist.
• In addition, candidates must have documented approval from the Adjudicating Committee of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain to prove they are suitable for this course. This approval must be obtained before you apply. Please note that it may take up to two months to gain approval from the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain.

Learning, teaching & assessment

The following study methods are used throughout the programmes:

• Lectures
• Group tutorials
• Practicals
• Web-based learning
• Clinical teaching sessions.

A wide range of assessment methods are used including:

• Examination
• Web based clinical assignments
• Clinical case studies
• Clinical case presentation
• Portfolio development
• Practical dispensing examination.

Professional accreditation

The course is accredited by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB).

Pharmacy Career opportunities

The courses are designed for those who wish to practice as a Pharmaceutical Chemist in the UK. Whish can lead to Pharmacy Careers as Pharmacy Mangers, Community Pharmacists, Locum Pharmacists, Hospital Pharmacists or Industrial Pharmacists.

Please see our Pharmacy Vacancies here.

Personal development

The transferable skills acquired on the courses include effective written and oral communication, team working, report writing, critical analysis and IT skills.

Facilities & equipment

The programmes utilise a range of specialist laboratories recently refitted to very high standards

Important Notice

On 15^th June 2009 the UK Borders Agency (UKBA) removed the occupation of community pharmacy (but not hospital pharmacy) from the Shortage Occupation List that the UK Borders Agency uses in determining whether or not to grant work permits to non-EU overseas pharmacists.

This decision may affect your eligibility to work as a community pharmacist in Great Britain.

The RSPGB recommend that before you start the qualifying process, i.e. the one year OSPAP and the one year pre-registration training (and the Society's registration examination), you are advised to check the current information provided by the UKBA concerning the acquisition of the necessary visas and work permits.

If you have any questions relating to the Shortage Occupation List, you should contact the UKBA.  The university is unable to comment or advise with regard to queries about visas and work permits.

Contact us on 020 784 32410

Email:info@resourcing.uk.com