PMMPD2: Introduction to Quality Improvement in Healthcare

Module code: PMMPD2

Module provider: Pharmacy; School of Chemistry, Food and Pharmacy

Credits: 20

Level: 7

When you’ll be taught: Semester 2 / Summer

Module convenor: Ms Nicola Green, email: nicola.green@reading.ac.uk

Module co-convenor: Mrs Sarah Garnish, email: sarah.garnish@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s): Completion of the PGCert Pharmacy Practice (comprising modules PMMPC1, PMMPC2 & PMMPC3) or equivalent Level 7 credits approved via RPL (Open)

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s): Applicants must be: Registered as a pharmacist with the GPhC or PSNI Working at an approved pharmacy practice site and have an Educational Supervisor able to supervise their practice (Open)

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2025/6

Available to visiting students: No

Talis reading list: Yes

Last updated: 17 September 2025

Overview

Module aims and purpose

This module will develop practitioners’ core knowledge and skills in promoting quality through audit, change management and service improvement. Practitioners are introduced to the theory of quality improvement and how it differs from audit and research. Practitioners will work closely with other healthcare professionals to identify, design and undertake a specific service improvement project relevant to their area of practice. Practitioners will build upon their professional portfolios and prepare for more senior pharmacist roles by using tools to investigate medication-related errors and gaining experience of change management and leadership.

The module learning outcomes, portfolio activities and assessments are mapped to the Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s (RPS) Post-registration Foundation Pharmacist Curriculum (2021) and Foundation Pharmacist Framework (2019) to support practitioners in becoming credentialled through the RPS.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to:

1. Independently gather and critically analyse service performance data using appropriate methods to prioritise issues and enable quality improvement.
2. Produce and present data visualisation that demonstrates the impact of pharmacy services on quality and the need for improvement to systems or processes.
3. Identify and plan implementation strategies for novel approaches to improve the efficiency and safety of a pharmacy service, engaging with relevant stakeholders including the public, wider pharmacy team and senior healthcare professionals.
4. Develop own professional portfolio to demonstrate an understanding of the principles of risk management, quality improvement and leadership.

Module content

The module workshops will focus on quality improvement tools, change management theory and leadership behaviours to support practitioners in conducting and presenting a service improvement project within their area of practice. Practitioners will have the opportunity to advance their understanding of risk management and patient safety and explore how this relates to their professional practice. Practitioners can choose the therapeutic focus of their workplace-based learning and develop their professional portfolios by actively facilitating and evaluating change in response to local health needs as well as sharing innovation through local networks.

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

The module consists of a mixture of face-to-face and online learning. Learning outcomes are supported by three collaborative workshops that use a mixture of presentations, discussions and problem-based and case-based learning, facilitated by the programme team, specialist pharmacists and other healthcare professionals. The workshops are underpinned by directed learning via Blackboard and self-directed learning. A significant proportion of the programme is workplace-based learning through which practitioners will develop a professional portfolio to demonstrate their advancing knowledge, skills and behaviours.

This module is taught over Semester 2 and Summer. The 200 study hours listed below under Summer indicate the total number of study hours for the whole duration of the module.

Study hours

At least 4 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve all of the following to pass this module: 

1. A pass in the portfolio assessment
2. An overall module mark of 50%

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or a DAS-agreed extension as a reasonable adjustment indicated in your Individual Learning Plan): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each calendar day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three calendar days;
• where the piece of work is submitted up to three calendar days after the original deadline (or a DAS-agreed extension as a reasonable adjustment indicated in you Individual Learning Plan), the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three calendar days after the original deadline (or a DAS-agreed extension as a reasonable adjustment indicated in your Individual Learning Plan), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three calendar days after the original deadline (or a DAS-agreed extension as a reasonable adjustment indicated in your Individual Learning Plan): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three calendar days of the deadline (or a DAS-agreed extension as a reasonable adjustment indicated in your Individual Learning Plan): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three calendar days after the original deadline (or a DAS-agreed extension as a reasonable adjustment indicated in your Individual Learning Plan): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

Where a piece of work is submitted late after a deadline which has been revised owing to an extension granted through the Assessment Adjustments policy and process (self-certified or otherwise), it will be subject to the maximum penalty (i.e., considered to be more than three calendar days late). This will also apply when such an extension is used in conjunction with a DAS-agreed extension as a reasonable adjustment.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: /cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

1. Workplace-based assessments during experiential learning 
2. Feedback on workplace-based learning from educational or practice supervisor(s) 
3. Optional formative feedback on quality improvement task 
4. Portfolio sign-off and discussion with educational supervisor 

Reassessment

Additional costs