RAK Medical and Health Sciences University is First Medical University in the UAE to Obtain Five Stars in QS Stars Rating     College of Pharmacy at RAK Medical and Health Sciences University has obtained dual national and international accreditation for its Bachelor of Pharmacy program from the American Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) and the Commission for Academic Accreditation (CAA)     All Programs are accredited by Ministry of Education, UAE.    All our programs are recognized by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Curriculum Summary – MS in Clinical Pharmacy

Year 1

Semester 1

Course Description:
Pharmacotherapeutics -1 is a three-credit course offered in the first semester of the first year of the MS Clinical Pharmacy Program. This course aims to develop the necessary professional skills for the drug therapy management of diseases related to different systems, including cardiovascular, respiratory, renal, and hematology. This knowledge will help the students to apply therapeutic skills and rational selection of drugs to manage these diseases. In addition, this course also deals with the general therapeutic management of drug overdose, including cardiovascular, respiratory, and hematological drugs. Learning is facilitated through interactive lecture sessions, ward rounds, case-based learning, self-directed learning, small group sessions, assignments, problem-based learning/ team-based learning, quiz, seminars, and course examinations.

Course Description:
Pharmacotherapeutics -2 is a two-credit course offered in the first semester of the first year of the MS Clinical Pharmacy Program. This course aims to develop the necessary professional skills for the drug therapy management of diseases related to infectious diseases, such as respiratory tract infections, urinary tract infections, gastrointestinal infections, meningitis, endocarditis, etc., This knowledge will help the students to apply therapeutic skills and rational selection of drugs to manage these infectious diseases. In addition, this course deals with antimicrobial stewardship and the rational use of antimicrobials. Furthermore, students will also learn about the therapeutic management of antibiotic overdose. Learning is facilitated through interactive lecture sessions, ward rounds, case-based learning, self-directed learning, small group sessions, assignments, problem-based learning/ team-based learning, quiz, seminars, and course examinations.

Course Description:
Principles of Clinical Pharmacy Practice & Patient Data Analysis is a three-credit course offered in the first semester of the first year of the MS Clinical Pharmacy Program. The course aims to prepare the student to understand the professional roles of a clinical pharmacist. During the course, the students learn about general professional activities of a clinical pharmacist such as ward round participation, medication history interview, medication review, adverse drug reaction monitoring and provision of drug information, etc. Learning is facilitated through interactive lecture sessions, ward rounds, case-based learning, self-directed learning, small group sessions, assignments, problem-based learning/ team-based learning, quiz, seminars, and course examinations.

Course Description:
Hospital Pharmacy & Pharmacoinformatics is a two-credit course offered in the first semester of the first year MS Clinical Pharmacy Program. The main goal of the course is to prepare the student to understand the professional roles of hospital pharmacists and delegate the same diligence to provide effective services to clinicians and patients. The students will acquire the knowledge and skills to perform the professional role of a hospital pharmacist. The students will learn about the various hospital pharmacy-related topics such as drug dispensing, distribution, patient counseling, hospital pharmacy management and administration, leadership skills, pharmacoinformatics, including artificial intelligence in hospital pharmacy, tele pharmacy, automated dispensing, and medication errors management. Learning is facilitated through interactive lecture sessions, hospital pharmacy visits, self-directed learning, assignments, seminars, problem-based learning/ team-based learning, quiz, guest lectures, and course examinations.


Semester 2

Course Description:
Pharmacotherapeutics-3 is a three-credit course offered in the second semester of the first year of the MS Clinical Pharmacy Program. The course aims to develop the necessary professional skills for drug therapy management of different diseases, such as bone and joint disorders, neurological disorders, and psychiatric disorders. This knowledge will help the students to apply therapeutic skills and rational selection of drugs to manage these diseases/disorders. In addition, this course also deals with the therapeutic management of drug overdoses of NSAIDs and psychotropic and anti-epileptic drugs. In addition, this knowledge helps the students apply their therapeutic skills and knowledge in the rational selection of drugs to manage diseases or disorders. Learning is facilitated through interactive lecture sessions, ward rounds, case discussions, case-based learning, self-directed learning, small group sessions, assignments, problem-based learning/ team-based learning, quiz, seminars, and course examinations.

Course Description:
Pharmacotherapeutics-4 is a two-credit course offered in the second semester of the first year of the MS Clinical Pharmacy Program. The course aims to develop the necessary professional skills for drug therapy management of different diseases related to systems such as gastrointestinal, endocrine, ophthalmology, dermatological, and oncology. In addition, this course also deals with the management of toxicity related to opioids, alcohol, and antidiabetic drug overdose. Furthermore, this knowledge helps the students to apply their therapeutic skills in rationalizing drugs to manage diseases. Learning is facilitated through interactive lecture sessions, ward rounds, case-based learning, self-directed learning, small group discussion, case discussions, assignments, problem-based learning/ team-based learning, quiz, seminars, and course examinations.

Course Description:
Advanced Clinical Pharmacy Practice is a three-credit course offered in the second semester of the first year of the MS Clinical Pharmacy Program. The course aims to prepare the student for advanced concepts of clinical pharmacy practice such as pharmacoeconomics, pharmacoepidemiology, pharmacovigilance, drug safety, evidence-based medicine, and biomedical literature evaluation. In addition, students will acquire knowledge and skills related to medication therapy management, medication concordance, precision medicine, artificial intelligence in clinical pharmacy practice, and public health promotion. Learning outcomes of this course will be achieved through case-based learning, journal club activities, hands-on activities, interactive lectures, assignments, seminars, group discussions, self-directed learning, problem-based learning/ team-based learning, quiz, and course examinations.

Course Description:
Clinical pharmacokinetics is a two-credit course offered in the second semester of the first-year MS Clinical Pharmacy Program. The main goal of the course is to prepare the student to learn and understand the significance of the various pharmacokinetic parameters in a clinical situation. In addition, the course aims at the student's ability to plan the dosage adjustments based on the drug levels. In addition, the students will also gain knowledge of bioavailability and bioequivalence studies and their clinical significance. The simulated case-based learning sessions involve estimating various pharmacokinetic parameters influencing drug therapy. Learning is facilitated through interactive lectures, case-based learning using simulation software, assignments, seminars, group discussions, self-directed learning, problem-based learning/ team-based learning, quiz, therapeutic drug monitoring facility visits, and examinations.

Course Description:
Clinical Research Methodology is a two-credit course offered in the second semester of the first-year MS Clinical Pharmacy Program. The main goal of the course is to advance the knowledge and understanding of research through critical exploration of different elements of research, such as research objectives, review of literature, research designs, research ethics, sampling, data collection, statistical data analysis, and interpretation using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The course will help the students develop the skills needed to conduct a research project independently. In addition, the students will appraise the various stages of the clinical drug development process and different regulatory requirements for drug approvals. The educational objectives of this course will be achieved through interactive lecture sessions, self-directed learning, and activities including hands-on training on SPSS, assignments, seminars, problem-based learning/ team-based learning, quiz, and course examinations.


Brief Descriptions of Clinical Rotations

Semester 3

Course Description:
Internal Medicine-1 is a two-credit clinical rotation offered in the third semester of the MS Clinical Pharmacy program. This course is a part of the clinical training and is a core rotation that the students must complete compulsorily. This rotation aims to prepare the students to provide pharmaceutical care services related to common conditions encountered in the internal medicine setting, including respiratory, gastrointestinal, endocrine, hematological disorders, and various infectious diseases. In addition, students will acquire knowledge and skills related to treatment, patient education, and identifying and resolving pharmaceutical care in internal medicine patients as a part of pharmaceutical care services. During the course of this rotation, the students will apply principles of evidence-based medicine and utilize the latest scientific literature and guidelines to make informed decisions about patient care, develop and implement effective treatment plans, and assess treatment outcomes. The rotation will include ward round participation, discussion, and reflection sessions with the preceptors at the rotation site. In addition, the student will complete a checklist of activities and assessments to assure sufficient breadth of experience and exposure to necessary components and activities in a clinical setup.

Course Description:
Internal Medicine-2 is a two-credit clinical rotation offered in the third semester of the MS Clinical Pharmacy program. This course is a part of the clinical training and is a core rotation that the students must complete compulsorily. This rotation aims to prepare the students regarding pharmacotherapy of common disease conditions encountered in internal medicine specialty areas like cardiology, nephrology, and neurology. In addition, students will acquire knowledge and skills related to treatment, patient education, and identifying and resolving pharmaceutical care issues in specialty medicine patients as a part of pharmaceutical care services. During the course of this rotation, the students will apply principles of evidence-based medicine and utilize the latest scientific literature and guidelines to make informed decisions about patient care, develop and implement effective treatment plans, and assess treatment outcomes. The rotation will include ward round participation, discussion, and reflection sessions with the preceptors at the rotation site. In addition, the student will complete a checklist of activities and assessments to assure sufficient breadth of experience and exposure to necessary components and activities in a clinical setup.