Liver: Learning outcomes

Last updated: Tuesday, September 27, 2022

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After completing this tutorial, you will be able to:
  • Recognise the main types of liver disease and dysfunction.
  • Describe how to assess a patient's liver dysfunction, including the commonest liver function tests.
  • Make decisions about appropriate choice and dose of medicines in patients with liver dysfunction.

You can download a PDF of the whole tutorial (without interactive elements such as the Learning exercises) and a one-page summary.

You should allow 90 minutes to complete this tutorial, including the Learning exercises.

Competencies

This tutorial is aimed at hospital trainee pharmacists, and will help you achieve GPhC learning outcomes such as these:

  • LO 5 Proactively support people to make safe and effective use of their medicines and devices
  • LO 12 Take an all-inclusive approach to ensure the most appropriate course of action based on clinical, legal and professional considerations
  • LO 16 Apply professional judgement in all circumstances, taking legal and ethical reasoning into account
  • LO 27 Take responsibility for the legal, safe and efficient supply and administration of medicines and devices
  • LO 29 Apply the principles of clinical therapeutics, pharmacology and genomics to make effective use of medicines for people [including in their prescribing practice]
  • LO 30  Appraise the evidence base and apply clinical reasoning and professional judgement to make safe and logical decisions which minimise risk and optimise outcomes for the person
  • LO 34 Apply the principles of effective monitoring and management to improve health outcomes
  • LO 48 Actively take part in the management of risks and consider the impacts on people

If you are a foundation pharmacist, this tutorial may assist with meeting certain competencies from the RPS framework including:

  • 1.1 Applies evidence-based clinical knowledge to make suitable recommendations or take appropriate actions 
  • 1.6 Uses own pharmaceutical knowledge to positively impact the usage and stewardship of medicines at an individual and population level.
  • 1.7 Undertakes a holistic clinical review of a person’s medicines to ensure they are appropriate.
  • 2.1 Keeps the individual at the centre of their approach to care at all times.
  • 3.1 Draws upon own knowledge and up-to-date guidance to effectively make decisions appropriately and with confidence.
  • 3.2 Critically appraises appropriate information to make a decision in an efficient and systematic manner; adopts evidence-informed solutions.
  • 3.3 Demonstrate awareness of where to seek appropriate information to solve problems and make decisions. 
  • 3.5 Manages uncertainty and possible risk appropriately, while ensuring high attention to detail is maintained when making decisions regarding the individual receiving care.
  • 6.5 Uses effective questioning when working with individuals receiving care or other healthcare professionals.

Continuing professional development


Finally, here are some CPD activities you could consider:

★  If you don't encounter a patient with liver dysfunction on your own wards, ask a colleague if you can visit a ward where there is such a patient. What interventions has the pharmacist made to improve the care of this patient? Were there any therapeutic choices that presented particular challenges? Discuss the case with the pharmacist and write up what you have learned as a CPD exercise.
★  Ask your MI pharmacist to review past enquiries they have answered about the choice of medicines in patients with liver dysfunction on MiDatabank. Are there any scenarios that occur more commonly (e.g. choice of analgesia, antiemetic etc.).