Degree Overview:

This accredited course aims to prepare registered nurses (Level 1), midwives, paramedics and physiotherapists with the knowledge, understanding and skills to prescribe safely, appropriately and cost-effectively as an independent and supplementary prescriber. In a healthcare culture that is fostering greater multi-professional working, both the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) and HCPC confirmed alignment with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s (RPS) Prescribing Competency Framework. Therefore this course clearly maps its learning outcomes against the RPS competency framework.

Professional accreditation: This course is approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) - Standards of proficiency for nurse and midwife prescribers (2006).
Credits: 40
Cost and funding: This fee covers the full course cost.
Assessment method: Folder of evidence 50% and reflective case study 50% - more info below.

Outline:

Course Content: The course will address the following areas:
Consultation, decision-making and therapy, including referral
Influences on and psychology of prescribing
Prescribing in a team context
Clinical pharmacology, including the effects of co-morbidity
Evidence-based practice and clinical governance in relation to prescribing
Legal, policy and ethical aspects
Professional accountability and responsibility
Prescribing in the public health context
Physiology, pharmacology and pharmacotherapeutics related to:
Nervous system
Cardiovascular system
Respiratory system
Renal system
Gastrointestinal system
Endocrine system
Integumentary system
Immunology.
Course Structure: This course is taught on day release.
Course Schedule:
Start Dates:
Study Days:
17 September 2024 start date:
Study Days:
September: 17, 24
October: 1, 15, 22
November: 5, 12, 19, 26
December: 10
January: 7, 14, 21, 28
February: 11
March: 4
Case Study:
Portfolio:
25 March 2025 start date:
Self-study days:
26 March 2025 start date:
Self-study days:
Study Times:
Modules:
Independent and Supplementary Prescribing:

Assessment:

Assessment Methods:
Folder of evidence:
Reflective case study:
Written exam:
Structured Clinical Examination in Practice (SCEP):
Drug Calculation exam:
Assessment Criteria:
All five elements must be passed in order to pass the course overall.
Satisfactory completion of the 26 study days and 90 hours supervised time in practice.
Course requirements must be passed, but not all contribute to the overall course mark.

Teaching:

Teaching Methods: A combination of online, face-to-face delivery, and self-study days.
Faculty: Dr Anosha Sirpath (view full profile)
Unique Approaches: Practice-based learning is integral to the course.
The structure and duration of practice-based learning supports the learning outcomes and the standards of your professional body.
In the Independent and Supplementary Prescribing module you must spend 90 hours (12 days of 7.5 hours) learning in your own practice environment – this will help you develop profession-specific knowledge and skills.
Your identified Practice Educator will help facilitate this learning by:
Providing dedicated time and opportunities for you to observe how the Practice Educator conducts a consultation or interview with patient/clients and/or parents/carers, and develops a management plan
Helping ensure you integrate theory with practice
Taking opportunities to allow in-depth discussion and analysis of clinical management using a random case analysis approach, when patient/client care and prescribing behaviour can be examined further
Assessing and verifying that, by the end of the course, you are competent to assume the prescribing role.
You will not need to be supervised throughout your practice-based learning by the Practice Educator – other clinicians could be involved.
In addition, it may be useful to establish a ‘buddy link’ with either a paramedic, physiotherapist or pharmacist prescriber.
Most students will learn in their own practice environment.

Careers:

Potential Career Paths:
Successful completion of this course will lead to eligibility for a paramedic/physiotherapist to become annotated with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) as an independent and supplementary prescriber.
Successful completion of this course will lead to eligibility for a nurse/midwife to become annotated with the Nursing and Midwifery Council as an independent and supplementary prescriber.
Opportunities:
This is sometimes known as a ‘V300’, from the code that is used to enter the annotation onto the NMC register indicating successful completion of a NMC-approved prescribing programme that gives the registrant independent/supplementary prescriber status.
Outcomes: This can be taken as a standalone course or the credits can be used towards one of the courses below:
PG Cert Clinical Practice (Independent and Supplementary Prescribing)
PG Dip/MSc Clinical Practice (badged awards available)
MSc Advanced Clinical Practice
MSc Advanced Professional Practice (badged awards available).

Program start date	Application deadline
2024-09-17	-
2025-03-25	-
2025-03-26	-

Independent and Supplementary Prescribing (NMC and HCPC Approved)