Name: Non-Medical Prescribing, AdvCert
Price: £1,800 one-off fee GBP

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Attendance

Campus

Start

Duration

6 months

Start

January 2025

Delivery

In-person

Our Advanced Certificate in Non-Medical Prescribing enables nurses, midwives, pharmacists, physiotherapists and podiatrists to prescribe. This is subject to annotation of the relevant professional register.

The course is aimed at practitioners who wish to enhance their clinical practice by prescribing as independent and supplementary prescribers using Clinical Management Plans. These are according to relevant professional standards as stipulated by:

The generic nature of the course enables you to apply the theory directly to your own practice area or speciality.

The course is delivered four times a year starting in:

September (Thursdays)
January (Wednesdays - not for pharmacists)
February (Wednesdays and Fridays)
April (Thursdays and Fridays - not for pharmacists)

Why study with us

You'll be taught by an experienced multidisciplinary team.
Healthcare professionals benefit from learning together in a modern and well-equipped learning environment.
Learn through a combination of taught study days on-campus and online learning.

Interested?

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Course information

The course comprises a combination of taught study days on-campus and via directed study using our resources. This includes a non-medical prescribing web resource and our online learning environment (Blackboard).

The course covers content as stipulated by each of the professional bodies (NMC, GPhC and HCPC) as follows:

Consultation, decision making, assessment and review of therapy, including non-drug treatment
Influences on and psychology of prescribing
Context of prescribing – team, supplementary, independent
Clinical pharmacology, including the effects of comorbidity
Pathophysiology, natural history and progression of defined conditions for which the professional may prescribe
Principles and methods of patient monitoring
Evidence based practice and clinical governance in relation to non-medical prescribing
Legal policy and ethical aspects in relation to non-medical prescribing, including unlicensed and off-license medicines, remote prescribing, botulinum toxin and related products
Professional accountability and responsibility in relation to non-medical prescribing
Prescribing in the public health context
Policy in Trust, local health economy and national contexts
Reflective approaches and continuing professional development

Registration

On successful completion of the course and subsequent registration with the appropriate regulatory body:

Nurses and midwives will receive the V300 Independent and Supplementary Prescribing entry to the NMC register.
Pharmacists will receive a ‘Practice Certificate in Independent Prescribing’ which can be used to have their entry in the GPhC register annotated.
Allied health professionals (physiotherapists, chiropodists/podiatrists, therapeutic radiographers) will receive a statement of competence to practice as an Independent and/or Supplementary Prescriber from the HCPC.
Allied health professionals (diagnostic radiographers, dieticians) will receive a statement of competence to practice as a Supplementary Prescriber from the HCPC.

All successful candidates will receive an Advanced Certificate in Non-medical Prescribing.

Modules

This course is offered as a double module and attracts 40 credits at Level 6 (NH3300) or 40 credits at Level 7 (NH4300). You may only undertake one of these modules.

This Level 7 module prepares healthcare professionals such as nurses, midwives, pharmacists and allied health professionals to practice as independent prescribers as well as supplementary prescribers. You will use the relevant professional standards set by the relevant council for each profession.

To study this module, you must be an appropriately trained and qualified health professional with at least three years’ experience and be currently working in the relevant specialist field as you require patient access for assessments.

Module code: NH4300

Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of our published course information. However, our programmes are subject to ongoing review and development. Changing circumstances may cause alteration to, or the cancellation of, courses. Changes may be necessary to comply with the requirements of accrediting bodies or revisions to subject benchmarks statements. As well as to keep courses updated and contemporary, or as a result of student feedback. We reserve the right to make variations if we consider such action to be necessary or in the best interests of students.

Entry requirements

You must be registered with:

The Nursing and Midwifery Council; or
The General Pharmaceutical Council and/or the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland; or
The Health and Care Professions Council

You must also have the following:

Approval by the relevant Trust NMP lead and manager (not required for self-funding applicants, although additional information may be required to ensure that the entry criteria on the application form are met).
Ability to identify the benefits to practice of undertaking the course.
A current criminal identity check (enhanced disclosure) via the Disclosure and Barring Scheme (DBS) prior to admission to the programme (original copy of DBS is required).
Be working in, or able to access a practice environment that will enable you to meet and achieve the course learning outcomes.
Be able to satisfy the Course Leader that you have sufficient expertise and competence in the chosen area of prescribing (through application form and/or informal interview).
Be able to identify a designated medical practitioner (DMP) who has experience in relevant field of practice; trained and experienced in supervising, supporting and assessing trainees; who has agreed to provide the trainee with opportunities to develop competencies in prescribing, supervise support and assess clinical practice.
Demonstrate ability to study at academic level 6 or 7.

Profession specific requirements

Nurses, midwives and specialist community public health nurses and relevant allied health professionals are required to have a minimum of three years relevant post-registration experience.
Nurses, midwives and specialist community public health nurses are required to have been in the clinical field they intend to prescribe for at least one year immediately preceding application to the course.
Pharmacists must have a minimum of two years appropriate patient orientated experience in addition to the pre-registration year.
It is a requirement of the Health and Care Professions Council that allied health professions provide a medical certificate verifying that they are in good health.

DBS

This course will involve you working with vulnerable groups of individuals, this may include children. In order to ensure that the University offers places on their programmes to suitable candidates you will be required to obtain a satisfactory Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service clearance (formerly termed CRB).

We will be able to guide you through this process once you have been offered a conditional place of study at the University of Central Lancashire.

It is important to note that should your Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check prove to be unsatisfactory for the purpose of the course you have applied to, your offer of a place for that course may be withdrawn. If you have already enrolled on a course and your DBS check subsequently discloses a criminal conviction, you may be required to withdraw from the course even if you have already started. If you are aware that your DBS check will disclose a previous conviction, please contact the course leader for advice as not all convictions may preclude you from continuing with the course.

Occupational health

All offers of a place on this course are subject to satisfactory health screening. It is important to note that should your health screening not be satisfactory your offer of a place on this course may be withdrawn.

If you have already enrolled on the course prior to completion of your health screening, or if your health screening clearance is revoked or changes during the course, you may be required to withdraw from the course even if you have already started.

If you would like to discuss or seek advice in respect of the health screening requirements for this course, please contact the Course Enquiries Team.

To study this course you should have familiarity with internet usage and Microsoft word processing. We have lots of support available if you are less confident.

Some of the course content is delivered via the University’s virtual learning environment known as Blackboard and via a web resource. Our computer labs on campus meet the specifications required to use this, If you choose to use this resource at home you will need:

A computer with an audio playback capability including speakers or headphones
Windows Media Player Internet access or modem or dial up with Minimum connection of 56KB and Internet Explorer 5 or above
Windows 98 or Windows Millennium or Windows 2000 or Windows XP operating systems
Adobe reader to view PDF files
Chrome is the preferred web browser to use for some of the course resources

We want to provide an educational experience of the highest quality for students with disabilities/learning difficulties. We strongly recommend you contact us before applying to find out if we can offer you the support you need. We are always pleased to hear from those enquiring about or applying to the University. Call +44 (0)1772 892593 (telephone/text phone) for advice.

Our student selection process is underpinned by the national values based recruitment strategy. The selection process has to provide evidence that the future students would aspire to a high standard of excellence in professionalism which is consistent with the NHS values, including:

Working together for patients
Respect and dignity
Commitment to quality of care
Compassion
Improving lives
Everyone counts

Fees and funding

2024/25

Part-time£1,800 one-off fee

2025/26

Part-timeTo be confirmed one-off fee

The course is designed for experienced practitioners and the use of student-centred teaching and learning strategies is central to the course design. The sessions are delivered by a very experienced multi-professional team via a range of approaches including: lectures, group discussions, case studies, seminars, tutorials, online Blackboard materials and an interactive elearning Web Resource. In addition, the opportunity afforded by shared multi-professional learning will enhance your educational experience.

Student support from module supervisors will be ongoing throughout the programme, which includes direct contact and via email and telephone.

Assessment of the course is in four parts, all of which must be passed in order to successfully complete the course. These are the production of a 4000 word portfolio of professional development in prescribing practice, written examination, Observed Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) and achievement of competence in practice. Students who undertake the level 7 module (NU4023) will also have a viva voce with the OSCE.

The teaching team is very experienced in delivering prescribing programmes, with team members having a wide range of relevant skills, experience and qualifications. Examples of teaching team members’ other relevant roles include clinical practice, prescribing, Chair of the North West Non-medical Prescribing Education Group, membership of prescribing forums, and external examiner posts on prescribing courses at other UK universities. The teaching team have well established links with Trust Non-medical Prescribing Leads throughout the region. All members of the teaching team are published authors. Many are actively involved in research related to prescribing or related topics.

As part of the course you will have the opportunity to hear about the experiences of service users, carers, patients and public members via our community engagement and service user support groups (Comensus).

Application for the course is made directly to the University following completion of the Non-medical Prescribing application form. This can be downloaded from the Health & Education Co-op website. All sections must be completed.

Funding

NHS funding may be available. Please contact your Trust NMP Lead for further information.

If you are being funded by your employer, you may need to complete an additional form to request funding from their NMP Lead.

If you're self-funding, you may wish to discuss your application with the Course Leader, Ruth Broadhead.

Interested?

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This course is delivered by the School of Nursing and Midwifery

For information on possible changes to course information, see our essential and important course information

You can find regulations and policies relating to student life at the University of Central Lancashire on our student contract page

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