Independent/Supplementary Prescribing - PCert

Entry requirements

• Registration with the appropriate professional/regulatory body (NMC, GPhC, PSNI or HCPC)
• Appropriate experience in the area of practice in which they will be prescribing
• The ability to study at academic level 6 or level 7
• Nurses and Midwives: At least one year's 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: At least two years' post-registration clinical experience in the UK
• 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, indicating the necessary governance structures are in place (including clinical support, access to protected learning time and employer support where appropriate) to enable the students to undertake and be adequately supported throughout the programme. 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 medical practitioner (pharmacists); practice educator (AHPs), who will facilitate, supervise and support the student during their clinical placement

All applicants are considered on an individual basis and additional qualifications, professional qualifications and relevant experience may also be taken into account when considering applications. 

International students

Please see our International website for entry requirements by country and other relevant information. Due to visa restrictions, international fee-paying students cannot study part-time unless undertaking a distance or blended-learning programme with no on-campus provision.

English language entry requirements

The University requires all non-native speakers of English to reach a minimum standard of proficiency in written and spoken English before beginning a postgraduate degree. Certain subjects require a higher level.

For detailed information see our English language requirements web pages. 

Need help with English?

Please note that if you are required to meet an English language condition, we offer a number of pre-sessional courses in English for Academic Purposes through Kent International Pathways.

Teaching and assessment

Each module and its assessments are applied to your scope of practice. All of the assessments are different in focus and require different things from you. You are given feedback on your work before your next assignment is due to be submitted.

Module 1

Case Study: written assignment using a patient case to demonstrate a systematic understanding of relevant frameworks, including budgetary constraints at national and local level.

Legislative Essay: written assignment reviewing the changes in legislation in relation to prescribing and the impact in regards to accountability and responsibility.

Module 2

Exam: includes sections on Numeracy, Using the BNF and Pharmacology pre-seen essay element to demonstrate the required knowledge, understanding and skills.

Module 3

Evidence Based Medicine: written assignment analysing the primary evidence as it applies to a specific patient within your scope of practice.

Practical Assessment of Prescribing Practice: a high-fidelity clinical situation tailored to your individual scope of practice.

Module 4

Narrative: written assignment used to explain how your portfolio demonstrates that you have met the requirements for the programme.

Portfolio of evidence: demonstrating how you have met the prescribing competencies, learning outcomes and professional requirements for your regulatory body (NMC, HCPC, GPhC).

Programme aims

This programme aims to:

• prepare pharmacists to practice as supplementary prescribers
• prepare nurses and midwives to practice as supplementary/independent prescribers
• develop the knowledge and skills required by an allied health professional to practice as a supplementary prescriber
• meet the standards set by the respective professional or regulatory body as required within the legislative framework.

Learning outcomes

Knowledge and understanding

You will gain knowledge and understanding of:

• the legal and professional framework for non-medical prescribing
• local health service provision and systems
• national and local frameworks for medicines use
• national and local budgetary constraints on prescribing
• models of consultation
• principles of diagnosis
• applied advanced physiology
• pathophysiology, natural history and progression of defined conditions
• changes to pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics in certain patient groups
• principles of monitoring.

Intellectual skills

You develop intellectual skills in:

• reviewing and critically evaluating best available evidence relevant to a specified area of prescribing practice, synthesising information from key sources and databases
• integrating previous learning with professional skills and expertise to synthesise innovative approaches to implementing extended independent/supplementary prescribing in practice
• further developing the skills to review and critically analyse your own learning and apply this to enhance your role as a non-medical prescriber
• making sound judgements about prescribing issues in the absence of complete data and communicating conclusions clearly to specialist and non-specialist audiences.

Subject-specific skills

You gain subject-specific skills in:

• consultation and medical history taking
• physical examination of patients to aid diagnosis and monitoring
• interpretation of medical documentation with an understanding of risks and benefits of incomplete data
• monitoring patient response against objectives set within clinical management plans
• recording prescribing actions and outcomes and the evidence base behind them contemporaneously in patient records.

Transferable skills

You will gain the following transferable skills:

• critical self-reflection and the ability to enhance professional competence on the basis of feedback from self and others
• communicating with clarity in both the academic and professional setting to a range of audiences and using a variety of approaches
• effectively managing and presenting complex information using a comprehensive range of learning resources
• autonomous learning and accessing professional resources including others as appropriate.

Additional costs

Fees

See the Medway School of Pharmacy website for postgraduate fees.

For more fee information, please email pgtpharmadmin@kent.ac.uk

Funding

Search our scholarships finder for possible funding opportunities. You may find it helpful to look at both:

• University and external funds
• Scholarships specific to the academic school delivering this programme.

Research areas

Chemistry and drug delivery

This group has laboratories with dedicated state-ofthe art drug delivery, nanotechnology, spectroscopy, chromatography and organic synthesis facilities. It brings together researchers in medicinal chemistry and drug design, nanotechnology and materials science, drug delivery and pharmaceutics encouraging a multidisciplinary approach to research. Research covers synthesis and biological evaluation of potential anti-cancer agents, structurebased drug design, QSAR predication of ADMET properties, controlled release, particle engineering, powder technology, pharmaceutical technology, and novel drug delivery systems, with a focus on respiratory drug delivery.

Biological sciences

This group is housed in recently refurbished laboratories with dedicated state-of-the-art molecular biological, electrophysiological, tissue culture and microscopy facilities. The research is divided into four main themes; infectious diseases and allergy; neuroscience; renal and cardiovascular physiology; and pharmacology. Examples of current work include: investigation of the use of non-pathogenic virus ‘pseudotypes’ to study pathogenic RNA, study of the properties of neuronal potassium channels and their modulation and the development of new therapies for patients that have developed acute kidney injury in collaboration with a major pharmaceutical company.

Pharmacy practice

This group conducts research in two areas: public health and medicines optimisation, with a particular focus on cardiovascular diseases and mental health. Work in public health includes studies in physical exercise, alcohol, cardiovascular screening and spirometry testing, plus pharmacovigilance. Studies in medicines optimisation include work in dementia, bipolar disorder and stroke, with an emphasis on the patient perspective.

Staff research interests

Full details of staff research interests can be found on the School's website.

Careers

There is a high and rising demand for a range of healthcare professionals to qualify as non-medical prescribers. There are career opportunities for both non-medical prescribing nurse practitioners and pharmacists in GP surgeries or other primary care settings and enhanced options for radiographers, physiotherapists, podiatrists and dietitians with the prescribing qualification.

Professional recognition

Accreditation with the GPhC, HCPC or the NMC as a non-medical prescriber

Study support

Postgraduate resources

Postgraduate students have access to all the facilities at the Medway School of Pharmacy, including clinical skills labs and a ‘simulation man’. As the School of Pharmacy is a joint venture between the two universities, students have access to facilities at Kent’s Medway and Canterbury campuses, and the University of Greenwich.

Distance learning

While on a distance learning programme you need to be able to organise your time carefully and negotiate with your workplace on how this programme will work for you and your employer. We will provide you with a comprehensive list of dates for submission to help you plan your placement time and to help you negotiate study leave so you can complete your assignments and portfolio.

You will already possess most, if not all, of the required skills such as navigating around a webpage or attaching a file and uploading this to a website or email. The academic skills required will depend on your level of study and how recently you last studied. The universities have good resources that you can access to help you rediscover or reinvigorate these skills as needed.

Getting to grips with the virtual learning environment (Moodle) early will be really useful to you. This is where the course is delivered. You will be able to get feedback at regular intervals to help you with your assignments, access practice quizzes and examples of the assessments, revisit lecture material when it suits you and download Course Study Guides & Workbooks for each of the four modules within the programme.

Guides

Please have a look at the following guides:

• Practice Supervisor Guide
• DMP Guide (PDF 490KB)
• Student Information Sheet (PDF 480KB)

Global Skills Award

All students registered for a taught Master's programme are eligible to apply for a place on our Global Skills Award Programme. The programme is designed to broaden your understanding of global issues and current affairs as well as to develop personal skills which will enhance your employability.