Online course offerings in Pharmaceutical Public Health

Online course offerings in Pharmaceutical Public Health (Jul–Nov 2021): 1) Pharmaceutical Policy and Management 2) Rational Medicine Use. Courses may be taken as individual accredited continuing education or as part of MPH. Apply by 31 May 2021

COVID-19 is providing challenges for us all! Pharmacy, Clinical, Laboratory and Public health professionals have been involved in maintaining existing health services, including access to quality pharmaceuticals during the COVID crisis. At the same time, some of these professionals have been called on to assess, select, procure and deliver additional services including PPE, re-purposed therapeutic agents, diagnostic tests and recently vaccines. This has highlighted the need for new skills and innovative, multidisciplinary approaches to assess and manage health products.

The University of the Western Cape (UWC) is unique among African institutions and has been offering face-to-face short courses and accredited Masters-level online distance learning modules related to Pharmaceutical Public Health since 2014. These modules can be taken within the existing Master of Public Health (MPH) programme or as individual Continuing Education modules.

In 2021 we will offer Pharmaceutical Policy and Management and Rational Medicines Use as online/distance semester modules from July-November 2021 (we will not have a face-to-face Winter School this year). The Pharmaceutical Policy and Management Module will introduce participants to pharmaceutical policy and management issues within health systems. It will provide a foundation for pharmaceutical policy analysis, policy development and implementation skills at country and local levels. Selected areas include quality of medical products, pharmaceutical procurement and supply, human resources, policies to fight corruption, and COVID-19-related challenges. The Rational Medicines Use Module will introduce the rational medicines use concept and a range of tools to investigate and promote rational medicines use. The module this year will have a particular focus on antibiotic resistance and stewardship. See overleaf for more details of online modules offered in 2021 and fee structure.

By studying these topics, you will learn skills to promote rational use and advise on access to quality assured medical products. The modules emphasize practical skills that can be immediately translated into the workplace. Alongside these activities our research programme in Pharmaceutical Public Health at UWC is growing, with increasing numbers of MPH and doctoral students focusing in this area.

Teachers come from UWC Schools of Public Health and Pharmacy, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium, independent consultants and South African provincial and national health departments. Past students have come from government, NGO and private sector settings from most South African provinces, countries across Africa and beyond.

Further details:

Online/Distance Learning MPH and Continuing Education Modules 2021

These online modules may be taken as individual accredited continuing education modules or as part of the Master of Public Health. They run over one semester (approx. 15 weeks) and comprise online materials, including webinars, with weekly activities, discussion forums and two written assignments. Each module fulfils 15 credits (150 learning hours) at Masters-level.

Pharmaceutical Policy and Management Module

Duration: 1 semester (July – November 2021)
Target group: Policy makers and advisors, managers responsible for policy implementation, consultants and academics with an interest in policy implementation and management.
Cost per module: R5,000 South Africans; US$350 Internationals with African citizenship; US$950 Internationals without African citizenship.

Rational Medicine Use Module

Duration: 1 semester (July – November 2021)
Target group: Health professionals, including pharmacists, doctors and nurses from the public (government) and private sectors and NGOs working at national, provincial, district and facility levels involved in managing and improving the use of medicines.
Cost per module: R5,000 South Africans; US$350 Internationals with African citizenship; US$950 Internationals without African citizenship.

Admission requirements for online/distance modules: Possession of a relevant professional qualification at Bachelors (Hons) level (equivalent to South African NQF 8).

Application Deadline: 31 May 2021