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Join our successful prescribing programme and qualify as a non-medical prescriber. Apply now for a September 2022 start date!
This is a well-established and successful independent/supplementary prescribing programme for pharmacists, nurses, midwives, physiotherapists, podiatrists, radiographers and dietitians.
It is a part-time, blended learning programme which leads to you qualifying as an independent prescriber (community and primary care 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. Available as eight or 12 months duration. Also available at Level 6 for nurses/midwives.
If you are a pharmacist, nurse, midwife, physiotherapist, podiatrist, radiographer or dietitian looking to become a prescriber this is the programme you are looking for.
We also run a 40-credit module as part of the University of Greenwich MSc Advanced Clinical Practice. If you are part of this Greenwich programme and have selected the Prescribing module then you do also need to complete our Prescribing Application form.
We are no longer recruiting for the Clinically Enhanced Prescribing Programme, pharmacists working in hospital, mental health and community trusts, and CCG pharmacists are eligible for this programme.
Hospital Pharmacists in the HEE LaSE area are eligible for funding for the Prescribing programme when taken in conjunction with our Clinical Consultation Assessment and Diagnosis short course module.
We have two different programme lengths to choose from. You can study over the REGULAR eight months or choose the EXTENDED programme over 12 months. Priority for the regular length programme will be given to those with a clearly defined scope of practice. The extended programme is for all those who may prefer, or who will benefit from, a longer period of study. It is especially suitable for those studying at Level 6 and community pharmacists.
All application forms are to be emailed to pgtpharmadmin@kent.ac.uk
Please do not post any application forms.
You can find upcoming cohort dates under Course Structure
All dates and deliveries subject to change.
Your applications deadlines are different as you are also applying for our Clinical Consultation Assessment and Diagnosis Module. Please check the application form.
The Prescribing Programme is delivered by distance learning with a total of nine in person study days at the University, plus 12 days clinical practice, overseen by a Practice Supervisor (nurses and midwives only)/designated prescribing practitioner (DPP).
Medway School of Pharmacy is one of the few regional schools of pharmacy in the UK, a collaboration between the University of Kent and the University of Greenwich.
The impetus for the formation of the Medway School of Pharmacy came from the local community, who recognised the shortage of qualified pharmacists in all branches of the pharmacy profession in Kent.
The School is now recognised as an established school with accreditation from the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) and the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). Graduates are employed in health disciplines in Kent and the south-east and more broadly across the UK.
GPhC, NMC, HCPC
Please note students need to be in active clinical practice to be on this programme of study. The longest period of time a student can be out of clinical practice while on the programme is 2 consecutive weeks. This means that if you are on maternity leave, secondment or sabbatical, you are not currently eligible to undertake the programme of study. Please apply when you return to work.
While we welcome applications with a focus on aesthetics, we recommend a broader scope than botulinum.
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.
Please see our International Student website for entry requirements by country and other relevant information. Due to visa restrictions, students who require a student visa to study cannot study part-time unless undertaking a distance or blended-learning programme with no on-campus provision.
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.
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.
Duration: 8 or 12 months part-time
Take the Independent / Supplementary Prescribing programme as a standalone qualification; OR continue on to Medicines Optimisation. The prescribing programme can be used as either the first or second year of the Medicines Optimisation qualification. You will need to apply for the Prescribing Programme separately to the Medicines Optimisation Programme. Acceptance onto one programme does not guarantee acceptance onto the other.
On successful completion, the School notifies the appropriate professional / regulatory body that you have qualified as an independent / supplementary prescriber.
The dates for the cohorts that are coming up are as follows:
Application deadline 03 June 2022
*We are now accepting applications for this cohort for both 40 credit MSc students and standard programme applicants. This is the only available cohort for students looking to undertake the 40 credit module as part of their MSc in Advanced Clinical Practice with the University of Greenwich.
Application deadline 08 July 2022
Application deadline 21 October 2022
Application deadline 25 November 2022
Application deadline 20 January 2023
Application deadline 25 March 2023
You need to be available to attend all of the study days. These are delivered in person at our Medway Campus.
You will be allocated a PAPP date.
Please ensure you are available for all the study day PAPP and exam dates before applying.
These dates are subject to change.
The programme consists of four compulsory modules at either level 7 or level 6.
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.
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.
Exam: includes sections on Numeracy, Using the BNF and Pharmacology pre-seen essay element to demonstrate the required knowledge, understanding and skills.
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.
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).
This programme aims to:
You will gain knowledge and understanding of:
You develop intellectual skills in:
You gain subject-specific skills in:
You will gain the following transferable skills:
See the Medway School of Pharmacy website for postgraduate fees.
For more fee information, please email pgtpharmadmin@kent.ac.uk
Search our scholarships finder for possible funding opportunities. You may find it helpful to look at both:
We have a range of subject-specific awards and scholarships for academic, sporting and musical achievement.
Search scholarshipsIn the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014, research by the School of Pharmacy was ranked 8th in the UK for research intensity.
An impressive 100% of our research-active staff submitted to the REF and 93% of our research was judged to be of international quality, with 81% of this judged world-leading or internationally excellent. The School’s environment was judged to be conducive to supporting the development of world-leading research.
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.
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.
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.
Full details of staff research interests can be found on the School's website.
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.
Accreditation with the GPhC, HCPC or the NMC as a non-medical prescriber
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.
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.
Please have a look at the following guides:
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.
To apply please use the forms below:
Allied Health Professionals (AHP) application form
Nurses, Midwives and Specialist Community Public Health Nursing (SCPHN) application form
Please email our administrative team on pgtpharmadmin@kent.ac.uk
T: +44 (0)1227 823254
E: internationalstudent@kent.ac.uk