Prescribing (GradCert PGCert)

Nurse applicants to the independent and supplementary programme:

• must be a registered first level nurse, midwife and/or specialist community public health nurse
• must have at least three years’ experience as a practising nurse, midwife or specialist community public health nurse and be deemed competent by your employer to undertake the programme. Of these three years, the year immediately before application to the programme must have been in the clinical field in which you intend to prescribe, eg. neonates, mental health. Part-time workers must have practiced for a sufficient period to be deemed competent by their employer.
• must provide evidence of the ability to study at minimum academic level six (degree). In addition, you will need to have written confirmation from: your employer of their support for the applicant to undertake the preparation programme; and a designated medical practitioner (DMP)* who meets eligibility criteria for medical supervision of nurse prescribers and who has agreed to provide the required term of supervised practice.
• It is the local employer’s responsibility to ensure up-to-date police checks and prerequisite skills of diagnosis, history taking and clinical examination prior to application, as appropriate. If you are self-employed you will need to demonstrate, with evidence, that you meet the minimum requirements for governance. 

Physiotherapist, podiatrist and chiropodist applicants:

• be registered with the Health and Care Professions Council as either a physiotherapist or podiatrist/chiropodist
• have at least three years' appropriate patient-orientated experience practising in a hospital, community or primary care setting following your pre-registration year
• identify an area of clinical practice and need in which to develop your prescribing skills
• have evidence of up-to-date clinical, pharmacological and pharmaceutical knowledge relevant to your intended area of prescribing practice
• demonstrate how you reflect on your own performance and take responsibility for your own CPD
• demonstrate how you will develop your own networks for support, reflection and learning, including prescribers from other professions
• have a designated medical practitioner (DMP)*, normally recognised by the employing or health service commissioning organisation as having experience in a relevant field of practice, with training and experience in the supervision, support and assessment of trainees, and who has agreed to: provide the student with opportunities to develop competencies in prescribing; and supervise, support and assess the student during their clinical placement
• have at least three years relevant post-qualification experience
• must provide clear documented evidence that you have appropriate background knowledge and experience and are able to study at academic level 6, or level 7.

English language requirements: 

• IELTS 7.0 overall, with no component below 6.5.

The course comprises two parts, for students looking for annotation, and for practitioners who already have annotation and who are wishing to study for a graduate or postgraduate certificate. All applicants will be engaged in clinical practice that is relevant to their intended scope of prescribing practice.

Annotation

Annotation requires completing the following modules:

• Pharmacology and Therapeutics for Prescribers (level 6) 10 credits
• Health Assessment for Prescribing (level 6) 10 credits
• Clinical and Professional Aspects of Prescribing (level 6) 20 credits or Clinical and Professional Aspects of Prescribing (level 7) 20 credits

Modules can be taken separately before applying to undertake annotation and completing the relevant level of module Clinical and Professional Aspects of Prescribing. All students must attend the induction day when undertaking the annotation process.

Graduate or postgraduate cert

Appropriate practitioners who have gained annotation to their professional registers, and after a period of prescribing practice, can undertake the additional 20-credit module, level 6 for the graduate certificate in Prescribing or level 7 for the postgraduate certificate in Prescribing. Independent prescribing practitioners who have previously completed a 30-credit module are required to undertake an additional 10-credit APEL module as well as the final 20-credit module). This will give the required 60 credits to achieve the award of the certificate.