Practice Certificate in Non Medical Prescribing

Start date: If you're from the UK or EU you can apply to study this course in: September 2012 January 2013 If you're from a country outside the EU you can apply to study this course full time in: September 2012 January 2013

Course length: Full time: 6 months

Campus: Kedleston Road site, Derby Campus

This course is available to international students

The Government has recently extended prescribing responsibilities to non-medical professionals within the health care sector. So, we've created this course to prepare professionals, such as pharmacists or nurses, to become independent prescribers.

Independent prescribers are responsible and accountable for assessment of patients with undiagnosed or diagnosed conditions and for the decisions about their clinical management, including prescribing.

Supplementary prescribing is a voluntary partnership between an independent prescriber and a supplementary prescriber, to work on a patient specific clinical management plan with the patient's agreement.

This course will help you to:

• improve the care you provide without compromising patient safety
• make better use of your skills as a health care professional
• make it easier for patients to get the medicines they need
• contribute to a more flexible team working across the NHS.

What you’ll study

You’ll study a range of topics during this module including:

• Consultation and Decision Making
• The Psychology of Prescribing
• Oharmacology
• Working in a Team and Healthcare Context
• Clinical Governance
• Clinical Skills
• Differential Diagnosis.

You must:

• be able to demonstrate approval and support from your employer/sponsor, including confirmation that you will have appropriate supervised practice in the clinical area in which you are expected to prescribe and confirmation of course fees,
• have an approved medical practitioner, normally recognised by the employing/Health Service commissioning organisation as having experience in a relevant field of practice and training and experience in the supervision, support and assessment of trainees,
• demonstrate the ability to study at academic level 6 or provide evidence of an undergraduate degree if you  wish to study at academic level 7,
• have appropriate background knowledge and experience.

If you work in nursing, midwifery and health visiting, you must:

• hold a current registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council on one of the following parts: 1, 3, 5, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15,
• be professionally practicing in a post relevant for independent and supplementary prescribing,
• have a minimum of at least 3 years' relevant post registration experience,
• you must be working in the area for which you intend to prescribe to for at least one year before applying for this course,
• have appropriate background knowledge and experience.

If you work in the allied health professions, you must:

• be registered with the Health Professions Council in one of the relevant allied health professions,
• be professionally practicing in an environment where there is an identified need for you to regularly use supplementary prescribing,
• normally have at least 3 years' relevant post-qualification experience.

If you work in pharmacy, you must:

• be registered with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain or with the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland,
• be professionally practicing in an environment where there is an identified need for the individual to regularly use supplementary prescribing,
• normally have at least 2 years' post-registration experience.

How you'll learn

Learning methods include:

• directed study,
• seminars,
• workshops,
• lectures,
• online resources,
• use of the Clinical Skills Suite,
• group presentations.

How you're assessed

A range of assessments are utilised including development of:

Development of clinical management,
OSCE examination,
Poster development and presentation,
Reflective assignment,
Prescription writing,
Calculations,
Pharmacology assessment paper,
Submission of a completed practice log.

You'll qualify with one of these awards depending on your profession:

• Practice Certificate in Independent and Supplementary Prescribing (for nurses)
• Practice Certificate in Independent Prescribing (for pharmacists)

This course will help you to develop your career, as part of your continued professional development.

If you want to continue your professional development, you can choose to study on our MSc Advanced Practice or  PG Cert Management of Long Term Conditions.

"The course was great, challenging and stimulating. I feel it is now essential for my own and probably the practice of many others in order to practise within legislation."

"Students are well supported, listened to and individualism recognised. I have learnt a lot from other members of the group as the teaching styles allowed this."