About This Course
This is a distance learning online course, module code MSE:4087.
The course will start on 3 February 2025 in Semester 2, of the 2024-2025 academic year.
Who is this course for?
This module is aimed at healthcare professionals with responsibility for patients' medicines, including, doctors, pharmacists, nurses and independent prescribers from other professions.
Why study this course?
This module aims to empower healthcare professionals with an ability to provide better, more personalised care, which in turn will improve health outcomes for patients. It will prepare you for the imminent mainstreaming of pharmacogenomics.
It aims to develop background understanding about the latest developments in the science and applications of pharmacogenomics and stratified health care. You will gain an understanding of the general concepts of how genetic variation can affect the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of a drug, or cause immune-mediated adverse reactions. The module will use examples of pharmacogenomic tests that are relevant to clinical practice.
How long does this course take to complete?
The course is spread over 16 weeks. 22 hours of lectures will be released over the first 9 weeks. Weeks 10, 11, 13, 14 and 15 are for self-directed learning and preparation for the assessments in weeks 12 and 16.
Tutor
Professor
Dyfrig is Professor of Pharmacoeconomics, co-director of the Centre for Health Economics and Medicines Evaluation at Bangor University and Director of Research for the North Wales Medical School. He is also academic lead for Pharmacy at the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (covering North Wales), and is honorary professor at the Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Liverpool.
Dyfrig leads the Pharmaceutical Economics, Pricing and Prescribing Research (PEPPER) Group, which has a focus on pharmacogenomics Research, and is programme lead (interim) for the BSc in Pharmacology. He co-chairs the NHS England Pharmacogenomics Test Evaluation Working Group, and is chair of the National Pharmacogenomics Group for NHS Wales.
Course Content
What will you study on this course?
Pharmacogenomics is increasingly important for safe and effective prescribing. This module will describe the science of pharmacogenomics, and the interplay between people's genetic make-up and the effects of medicines – both in terms of improving treatment response, and for reducing the risk of adverse drug reactions. The module will use examples of known, validated pharmacogenomics tests that can inform dose and treatment selection across many drug classes and diseases.
Learning Units
The module is organised into learning blocks that cover the following topic areas:
- Introduction to genomic biomarkers and genetic variation.
- Use of genomic information for targeted drug development
- The genomic basis of adverse drug reactions and drug efficacy.
- Challenges and limitations of pharmacogenetic studies.
- Clinical implementation of pharmacogenomics.
- Companion diagnostics and options for NHS service delivery models.
- Availability of direct-to-consumer testing and the implications for pharmacogenomics testing.
- Health technology assessment of pharmacogenomic tests.
What will attendees get out of the course?
Students will learn about the latest developments in the science and applications of pharmacogenomics and stratified health care. They will gain an understanding of the general concepts of how genetic variation can affect the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of a drug, or cause immune-mediated adverse reactions. The module will use examples of pharmacogenomic tests that are relevant to clinical practice.
The programme aims to empower healthcare professionals to deliver better, more personalised care, which in turn will improve health outcomes for patients. It will prepare you for the imminent mainstreaming of pharmacogenomics.
Course Cost
For NHS Wales staff, GPs and community pharmacists, subject to meeting entrance criteria, the course will be fully funded by the HEIW.
Applications from healthcare professionals from other parts of the UK are welcome, see our Postgraduate Fees and Finance page.
Entry Requirements
Applicants will require a BSc level degree (2:2 or higher), in a health, pharmacy or medically related life science subject area, from a recognised Higher Education Institution.
Applicants will be a Healthcare Professional, with a role related to current or projected use of pharmacogenetics in their area of practice. Full scholarship is available to applicants currently employed within (or contracted by) NHS Wales.
Application
How to Apply
Please make sure you read and follow the step-by-step application guide as this will specify which sections of the application form are compulsory for the type of course you want to apply for and save you time.
Please prepare the following information (in a Word document):
- Current employment details;
- Years of experience, and employment history (where relevant)
- Name of staff member and organisation that have approved your funding for this module.
This will speed up the process of completing the application form.
To apply for this course, you need to create an account in our
You will need access to the email address you specify while creating your account to confirm it.
After creating an account, you will see a homepage with several tabs:
- Personal
- Programme
- Info
- Contact
- Education
- Employment
- Language
- Finance
You need to complete all sections before submitting your application.
When a section is complete, a ‘tick’ symbol will appear below it.
- Click on ‘Non-graduating applications / Stand alone Modules’, then select ‘Non-graduating Postgraduate Taught’.
- In the next section, select Non-Graduating Taught Modules in Medical Sciences (NGGT/MS) Click Save and Continue.
- On the next page, the default for the first question is Full Time. You need to change this to ‘Part time’:
- You now need to input the module code. For Pharmacogenomics and Stratified Healthcare , the code is MSE:4087. This section must be completed for your application to be processed.
- You also need to state the start date. Please select February, then click ‘Save and Continue’.
- IMPORTANT: You do not need to write a personal statement to apply for this course. Instead, please upload the document including employment, experience and education information that you have created prior to starting the application that contains the name of your current employer, the number of years of experience you have, and your highest qualification to date. Click Save and continue.
You only need to enter the details of your highest qualification to date, e.g. if you have a postgraduate qualification, please only only include this.
You will be asked for evidence of the qualification. Please either upload a copy of your qualification if it's easily accessible, or upload the Word document again (that you prepared earlier).
Please scroll to the bottom of the page and click on ‘I have no employment history’ (as you have already provided this in your Word document).
If you are HEIW / Health Board funded, please answer the questions as follows:
- How will you finance your studies? Sponsored
- Exact name of funding authority: Health Board
- Country: United Kingdom
- Give details of the amount of the award? Fully funded.
- Sponsorship will cover: Tuition Fees
- Have you been awarded this funding? Please select ‘yes’ * Note that you will be required to upload evidence of the funding. If you wish to confirm ‘yes’ to this question, but do not have any written confirmation to upload, you can upload your Word document here again.
If you are self-funding, or funded by an independent GP practice, please provide all details as appropriate.