Program Overview

---

Independent/Supplementary Prescribing, PGCert

Our blended-learning Postgraduate Certificate in Independent/Supplementary Prescribing allows a wide range of healthcare professionals to qualify as non-medical prescribers.

Overview

Enhance your career opportunities by qualifying as a non-medical prescriber. The programme is for pharmacists, nurses, midwives, physiotherapists, podiatrists, radiographers and dietitians. It is a part-time, 8 month, blended learning programme which leads to you qualifying as an independent prescriber (pharmacists, nurses, midwives, physiotherapists, podiatrists, paramedics and therapeutic radiographers) or as a supplementary prescriber (diagnostic radiographers and dietitians). You develop the knowledge and skills to practise as prescribers and to meet the standards set by your respective professional/regulatory body. Also available at Level 6 for nurses/midwives only.

Course Content

This course is delivered by distance learning, but you'll also spend nine days at the university, covering issues including communication and diagnostic skills, patient assessment, and the legal and ethical aspects of prescribing. The emphasis on each skill or aspect of non-medical prescribing is tailored to meet the needs of the different professions we cater for.

School

Medway School of Pharmacy

Location

Medway Campus

Duration

8 months

Start month

September; January; February; April; May

Fees information

For courses taught at the Medway School of Pharmacy please visit their postgraduate fees page.

What you should know about this course

• You can begin in January, February, April, May and September each year
• The course is run by active academics and healthcare professionals at the Medway School of Pharmacy. The entire team are qualified Non-Medical Prescribers
• The course is fully accredited by GPhC, NMC and HCPC
• If you aren’t quite ready for this course, we also offer Preparing for Prescribing (P4P) short courses
• This course is also available as a pathway into our Medicines Optimisation course. You would study prescribing as the first or second year of the PGDip Medicines Optimisation.

Accreditation

Accredited by the General Pharmaceutical Council Accredited by the Health and Care Professions Council

What you will study

Distance learning

• Distance learning

Year 1

Students are required to study the following compulsory modules.

• Safe and Effective Prescribing (15 credits)
• Consultation and Decision Making (15 credits)
• Putting Prescribing into Practice (15 credits)

Students are required to choose 15 credits from this list of options.

• Non-Medical Prescribing in Context (15 credits)
• Non-Medical Prescribing in Context for Pharmacists (15 credits)

About the course team

Trudy Thomas and Fiona Peniston-Bird lead this course. You will be taught by a mix of academics and healthcare professionals. You will have a personal tutor assigned to you on starting and there is support from the postgraduate administrative team.

Entry requirements

UK citizens and permanent residents

• Registration with the appropriate professional/regulatory body (NMC, GPhC, PSNI or HCPC)
• Appropriate experience in the area of practice in which applicant will be prescribing
• The ability to study at academic Level 6 or Level 7
• Nurses and Midwives: At least one year of post-registration clinical experience in the UK. This includes all nurse (level 1), midwife or SCPHN registrants (including NHS, self-employed or non-NHS employed registrants)
• Pharmacists: must demonstrate they have relevant patient orientated experience in a UK Pharmacy setting in their application
• Allied Health Professionals (excluding Paramedics) At least three years' post-registration clinical experience in the UK
• Advanced Paramedic Practitioners: College of Paramedics recommend that paramedics are registered and qualified for at least five years with at least three years' relevant post-qualification experience in the clinical area in which they will be prescribing
• Appropriate numeracy skills, clinical/health assessment, diagnostics/care management and planning and evaluation of care in their intended area of prescribing practice
• Support from the sponsoring organisation confirming service need and access to appropriate supervised practice, and a prescribing budget to meet the costs of prescriptions on completion of training
• A named practice supervisor (nurses and midwives); designated prescribing practitioner (pharmacists); practice educator (AHPs), who will facilitate, supervise and support the student during their clinical placement.

How you will learn

Learning experience

The Prescribing programme is studied by distance learning with a total of nine study days at the university and 12 days' clinical practice overseen by a practice supervisor (nurses and midwives) or a designated medical practitioner (allied health professionals and pharmacists).

Class sizes

Typical student intake per year is 40. Lectures and seminars/tutorials are normally attended by all.

Independent learning

Distance learning requires discipline and excellent time-management skills. You need to organise your time and negotiate your protected study time with your employer.

You may need to refresh your academic and/or computer skills, depending on when you last studied. Universities have good resources that you can access to help you rediscover these skills as needed.

The course is delivered through a virtual platform called Moodle. It's useful to become familiar with this at an early stage. Here, you'll access practice quizzes and sample assessments, receive your feedback, revisit lecture material on-demand and download study guides and workbooks for the four courses.

Overall workload

As well as the nine study days and 12 days in clinical practice you need to plan for 18 days of independent study.

We will provide you with a comprehensive list of dates for submission to help you plan your placement time and help you negotiate study leave to complete your assignments and portfolio.

Assessment

Students will be assessed through a variety of methods, such as:

• Classroom presentations, discussions and case-studies
• Critical reviews, looking at new areas of research
• Examinations.

Feedback summary

University policy is to give feedback on assignments within 15 working days of the coursework submission date.

Examination results will be available within 28 days.

Dates and timetables

Each entry point has a bespoke timetable of study days and submission points.

All cohorts have an 8-month calendar.

Fees and funding

Accommodation costs

Whether you choose to live in halls of residence or rent privately, we can help you find what you're looking for. University accommodation is available from £126.35 per person per week (bills included), depending on your location and preferences. If you require more space or facilities, these options are available at a slightly higher cost.

Scholarships and bursaries

We offer a wide range of financial help including scholarships and bursaries.

The Greenwich Bursary

This bursary is worth £700 for new undergraduate students with a low household income, entering Year 0 or 1 who meet the eligibility criteria.

Careers and placements

What sort of careers do graduates pursue?

There is high and rising demand for both non-medical prescribing nurse practitioners and pharmacists in GP surgeries or other primary care settings. There are also enhanced career opportunities for radiographers, physiotherapists, podiatrists, dietitians and advanced paramedic practitioners with the prescribing qualification.

Do you provide employability services?

This is a work-based programme. You must must already be working in an accredited workplace with an accredited educational supervisor.

Support and advice

Academic skills and study support

You will be assigned a personal tutor who you can contact throughout the programme for support and advice. You will also be able to contact the module convenors for information about each particular element of assessment.

Support from the department

The individual personal tutors and the administrative team in the postgraduate office will offer support and advice throughout your time on the programme.