Independent and Supplementary Non-medical Prescribing

The aims of the course are to:

• Enable achievement of outcomes that meet the Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s (RPS) A Competency Framework for all Prescribers (2021) in order to prescribe safely and effectively
• Develop a systematic understanding of the processes and context of non-medical prescribing
• Apply principles of prescribing in the practice context to demonstrate skills-based competency.

This course will enable you to achieve the outcomes that meet the Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s (RPS) A Competency Framework for all Prescribers (2016) in order to prescribe safely and effectively.

What is a non-medical prescriber?

Medication can be prescribed for many health conditions by various healthcare professionals. These prescribers can be both medical and non-medical.

A non-medical prescriber is a healthcare professional who is not a doctor.

Who is it for?

This course is designed for experienced Nurses, Midwives and Allied Health Professionals to gain the skills needed to be a Non-medical Prescriber.

Please note: This is not a nurse prescribing course. This is a non-medical prescribing course.

Timetable

Please note: applications for this module will not be considered unless you meet all the entry requirements. This is an extremely popular module and applications will be considered on a first come first serve basis.

There are 10 required study days one day a week, two optional study days and a Pharmacology exam. There is a practice-based component for which you need to complete 90 clinical hours and a Practice-based portfolio.

Term 1 (Sept 2022)

Sep: Thursday 29 September 2022
Oct: Thursday 6, 13, 20 and 27 October 2022
Nov: Thursday 3, 10, 17 and 24 November 2022
Dec: Thursday 1 December 2022

Pharmacology Exam: Thursday 8 December 2022

Numeracy Test and Presentations: Thursday 12 January 2023
Student Presentations: Thursday 19 January 2023

Term 2 (Jan 2023)

Jan: Thursday 26 January 2023
Feb: Thursday 2, 9, 16 and 23 February 2023
Mar: Thursday 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30 February 2023

Exam: Thursday 11 and 18 May 2023

Term 3 (May 2023)

May: Thursday 11, 18 and 25 May 2023
Jun: Thursday 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29 June 2023
Jul: Thursday 6 July 2023 

Online Revision Sessions: 10, 11 and 13 July 2023

Exam: Tuesday 18 July 2023

Benefits

This short course module is designed to be flexible in allowing you to study and reach your goals at your own pace. Our health CPD courses are credit-bearing modules that contribute to a University degree or award.

Transfer course credits towards postgraduate taught degree

As a health care professional, once you've completed this course you could offset 30 credits as part of a postgraduate programme, continuing your study with further modules to make up a Postgraduate Certificate (PGCert) 60 credits, Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) 120 credits or Master of Science (MSc) 180 credits qualification (all credits must be awarded within five years of study commencing).

The course content includes the following topics:

• skills required for consultation, shared decision making and therapy, including referral, monitoring and review
• clinical pharmacology, including the effects of comorbidity and the impact on a patient/client
• legal, policy and ethical aspects of prescribing
• evidence-based practice and clinical governance in relation to nurse prescribing
• professional accountability and responsibility and its application to community nurse prescribing

On successful completion of this course, you will be able to:

• Critically evaluate and use sources of information/advice and decision-support systems in prescribing practice.
• Appraise the influences that can affect prescribing practice, and demonstrate your understanding by managing your prescribing practice in an ethical way.
• Synthesise and apply knowledge of drug actions in prescribing practice and apply knowledge of health and illness in order to assess and diagnose presenting conditions and agree a treatment plan.
• Demonstrate accurate assessment, consultation and communication with patients, clients, parents and carers.
• Critically evaluate and work within legal and regulatory frameworks affecting prescribing practice, prescribing within your own scope of practice and recognising the limits of your own knowledge and skill.
• Demonstrate respect for the patient/client in relation to diversity, values, beliefs, and expectation about their health and treatment with medicines.
• Appraise and discuss the importance of shared decision-making, respecting patient/client preferences, including their right to refuse or limit treatment, and promoting concordance and medicines adherence.
• Appraise the value of and demonstrate collaborative working as part of a multidisciplinary team, establishing relationships with other professionals based on understanding, trust and respect for each other’s roles in relation to prescribing.

Teaching

This course consists of taught (theory and research) sessions and supervised practice-based learning experiences.

Assessment

You will be assessed by the following methods:

The summative assessment for this course consists of:

• Practice Assessment Document submission including:
  • assessment of prescribing practice
  • evidence of passing a clinical calculations test
  • written prescription
  • 2 reflections focused on your prescribing experience
• A 3,000-word reflective essay focused on a critical analysis of your learning achievements and your understanding of the principles of independent and supplementary prescribing.
• A clinical calculations test in which you must achieve 100% to pass.
• A two-hour unseen examination on prescribing and pharmacology, including multiple-choice and short-answer questions

On successful completion of this course, your name will be uploaded to the relevant regulatory body to allow you to prescribe. As a stand-alone course, you will be awarded 30 credits at Level 7.

You can request a transcript of your result following successful completion of the course.

Credits

This course is worth 30 credits toward eligible programmes.

Non-EEA students can only apply as part of a programme, not as a stand-alone course.

Please note: There is no flexibility with the entry requirements below. Students are required to meet all requirements before applying for this course.

• a second class or above (2:2 classification) honours degree in a relevant subject from an approved higher education institution or evidence of master’s level CPPD (level 7) study undertaken within the last five years
• current health professional registration with a regulatory body or equivalent, for example the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) or Health and Care Professionals Council (HCPC) (evidence provided by supplying valid NMC/HCPC PIN and expiry date)
• have a minimum of 3 year of post-registration experience (or part-time equivalent)
• Must have completed and passed a module in Physical Assessment.
• competent in managing patient consultations, undertaking clinical diagnosis and maintaining accurate records in your area of practice, preferably evidenced by successful completion of appropriate clinical assessment course
• have demonstrated reflection on current practice and taken responsibility for own development
• opportunity to work in a clinical area and develop advanced clinical practice skills, knowledge and behaviours as part of the prescribing programme. The clinical area should have an educational audit in place
• hold a current and satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check
• have approved funding arrangements in place
• If you are a nurse you must ensure that you have a named Practice Assessor and Practice Supervisor, both will need to be a Medical or Non-Medical Prescriber. All other allied health professionals are only required to have an Assessor. Please note, this is not a nurse prescribing course.

English requirements

If your first language is not English, one of the following is required:

• A first degree from a UK university
• A first degree from an overseas institution recognised by City, University of London as providing adequate evidence of proficiency in the English language, for example, from institutions from Australia, Canada or the United States of America.
• International English Language Test Service (IELTS) a score of 7.0 is required with no subtest below 7.0
• Pearson Test of English (Academic) score 72 required
• TOEFL 100 overall with 24 in Writing, 20 in Listening, 19 Reading and 20 Speaking
• Other evidence of proficiency in the English language, which satisfies the board of studies concerned, including registration with your professional regulator.

Some useful literature to read in advance and during the course:

• Nursing and Midwifery Council (2018) Standards for prescribing programmes. NMC, London
• Nursing and Midwifery Council (2018) The Code: Professional Standards of Practice and Behaviour for Nurses and Midwives
• Ritter, J.M., Flower, R., Henderson, G., Loke, Y.K., MacEwan, D. and Rang, H.P. (2020) Rang and Dale’s Pharmacology (9th ed.), London, Elsevier.
• Royal Pharmaceutical Society (2016) A Single Competency Framework for Prescribing

Further literature will be suggested throughout the course.