This is a presentation at the workshop on Emerging opportunities in post-graduate public health education for health systems development, Cape Town, 2015 The School of Public Health (SOPH) at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) hosted a two-part workshop series in May and October 2015, as part of its ongoing work with 15 sister institutions in Africa and the global South. The overall aim of the workshops was to explore emerging opportunities for expanding access to, and delivery of, post-graduate training in public health for people working in or managing health services/systems.

1. Case study: Establishing a new area
of specialisation in Pharmaceutical
Public Health
School of Public Health, UWC
Hazel Bradley

2. Outline
• Key steps establishing
• Pharmaceutical Public Health area of
specialisation in MPH
• Innovative CE module offering
• Opportunities
• Challenges
• Lessons learnt

3. Postgraduate programmes
• Post graduate Diploma (NQF-8)
• Master of Public Health (NQF-9)
• Structured
• Full thesis
• PhD (NQF-10)

4. Master of Public Health
• 4 Core modules
• 2 Research modules
• 2 Electives
• Mini-thesis (33%)

5. Master of Public Health
• 4 Core modules
• 2 Research modules
• 2 Electives areas of
specialisation
• Minithesis (33%)

6. Pharmaceutical public health –
new area of specialisation
• Step 1: Interest begins
• Step 2: Setting out -Winter School short course
• Step 3: Establishing new area of specialisation
• Step 4: New innovation - Online CE modules ‘stand-alone’

7. Step 1: Interest in
Pharmaceutical Public Health
• Opportunities
• Staff interest - research
• Professional interest – new M Pharm (PH & Man)qualification
proposed
• Link with other stakeholders at UWC - School of Pharmacy
• Partners – Extraordinary prof, SIAPS/MSH (expertise)
• Educational specialists
• Funding – development of learning materials
• Challenges
• Convincing SOPH
• Driving and co-ordinating initiative
• University processes

8. Step 2: Winter School short
courses
Two one-week short courses (Winter School 2014)
• Rational Medicines Use
• Medicines Supply Management
Register as CE short courses with university
(CE co-ord + Bus Unit; register CPD points )
SOPH CHS Faculty Senate Ac Plan
• Work with partners - SOP, RL (WHO), SIAPS/MSH, local & N DOH
• Draw on existing materials (WHO, MSH, SOPH short course)
• Skype calls, email comm
20+ participants per short course/positive evaluations

9. Step 3: Online elective modules
• Two new online elective modules
• Rational medicines use (Semester 2 – 2015)
• Medicines supply management (Semester 2 – 2016)
• Establish team & commitment (content expertise, educational
specialists, time, financial resources)
• Navigate institutional hoops
• Develop materials
• story board, allocate sessions, writing workshops, finalise
materials, onto online platform

10. Institutional hoops
New elective modules & MPH prog change
SOPH Academic Domain meeting
CHS Faculty Academic Planning Committee
Quality Assurance Director – quality, new module code
Academic Planning Director
Senate Academic Planning Committee

11. Step 4: Online CE modules
Two new online CE modules
• Rational medicines use (Semester 2 – 2015)
• Medicines supply management (Semester 2 – 2016)
15-credit Masters level CE module - ‘Stand alone’ module
Articulates with MPH & future MPharm(PH & Man)

12. Institutional hoops
New elective modules & MPH prog change: CE module
SOPH Academic Domain meeting
CHS Faculty Academic Planning Committee
Quality Assurance Director: CE co-ordinator + Business unit
Academic Planning Director
Senate Academic Planning Committee
Registrar - New online application & registration processes