FAQ Category: 4th Year

Students will indicate their geographical and practice setting preferences. They will then be provided with a choice of Training Establishments, from which they will select a number of preferred Training Establishments. Training Establishments will receive CVs from these students for consideration. There will be defined timelines in which placements can be offered and accepted.

APPEL will provide Preceptor training.  A choice of self-directed or webinar training will be provided. Preceptors will also be provided with a 4th-Year Placement Handbook.

Practice Educators based in each of the three Schools of Pharmacy will be available to support Preceptors and their students before, during and after placements.  The APPEL team are also available to provide support to Preceptors.

All absences must be reported to APPEL. If additional placement time is required as a result of this absence, it is APPEL’s role to secure this additional placement time in an appropriate Training Establishment.

Students attend placement for 30 hours per week. These hours must be completed between 8am and 6pm on weekdays. The exact start and finish time can be agreed upon between the student and Preceptor.

In addition, students must be given at least a half-day (no less than 4 hours in a row) off each week for their academic work. This can be on any weekday.

Students will continue to engage with their Schools of Pharmacy while on placement, e.g. through online tutorials. There is a university requirement of 30 hours on experiential learning placement, 10 hours directed study and 10 hours self-directed study every week for 4th-Year students.

A 4th-Year Preceptor can oversee a maximum of three students.

Legislation requires that students are under the supervision and guidance of a pharmacist while on placement. During the 4^th-year placement, this person is known to APPEL as a “Preceptor”.   This means that there should be a pharmacist available to the student on their placement for guidance and direction, but they do not necessarily have to be the person directly supervising the student.

If the students Preceptor will not be supervising them directly, an On-Site Supervisor should be nominated. The On-Site Supervisor will also be offered APPEL Preceptor training.

The Preceptor is required to meet the student every four weeks; technology can be used to facilitate these meetings virtually. Two such meetings must be face-to-face.

Undertaking Preceptor training can support your (CPD) continuing professional development. In 2018, 88% of our 4th Year Preceptors agreed that supervising a student contributed to their CPD and 90% found it a rewarding and enjoyable experience. Previous course attendees have commented on how the skills they developed at APPEL training were highly applicable to their engagement with other team members in their practice.

APPEL placement providers have a unique opportunity to increase awareness and understanding of their organisations in the Schools of Pharmacy, among pharmacy students, and throughout the pharmacy profession. Organisations wishing to develop their talent pipeline can use this opportunity to engage with future Pharmacy graduates. This programme offers a wonderful opportunity for placement providers to engage with talented and highly motivated students and inspire them to consider a career in their organisation or practice setting.

The 4th-year placement is a four-month placement completed in the first semester of students’ fourth year in an APPEL-accredited Training Establishment. These placements can be undertaken in a breadth of practice settings, including non-patient facing settings.

The Schools of Pharmacy are committed to developing graduates that are prepared for careers in all sectors of pharmacy practice. APPEL’s aim is to provide students with a broad range of experiential learning opportunities. These experiences will help expose and prepare students for the various roles a pharmacist can undertake. The 4th-year placement is the ideal opportunity for students to broaden their practice experience and to further develop their curriculum vitae (CV).