Practice Certificate Independent and Supplementary Prescribing

Prescribing is an important intervention in clinical care that needs to be safe and effective for patients. In addition, decisions around medication-related care should strive to be patient-centred, evidence-based and cost-effective for the NHS. The nature of healthcare is changing. There has been an increase in life expectancy, prevalence of patients with long-term conditions and polypharmacy. The skill-mix in healthcare teams is also expanding and the roles of diagnosis and prescribing are being performed by a myriad of trained healthcare professionals. This is an inter-disciplinary programme, meaning that you will learn alongside pharmacists, nurses and other allied-health professionals.  

For pharmacists, entry to this module requires you to be a registered pharmacist with the GPhC or the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland (PSNI) with at least two years appropriate patient-orientated experience in a UK hospital, community or primary care setting following their pre-registration year. In addition, you must have organisational governance structures in place to support you (including clinical support, access to protected learning time and employer support), a declaration of good character and a valid Enhanced DBS that adheres to your organisation’s governance policy. 

For NMC registrants, entry to this module requires you to be a registered nurse (level 1), midwife or SCPHN, with at least one year since qualification. You must have the academic ability to study at level 7 (must have previously studied at level 6, as a minimum) and be competent in clinical/health assessment, diagnostics/care management and planning/evaluation of care (confirmed by your line manager). In addition, you must have organisational governance structures in place to support you (including clinical support, access to protected learning time and employer support), a declaration of good character and a valid Enhanced DBS that adheres to your organisation’s governance policy. 

For HCPC-registered allied health professionals, entry to this module requires you to be an HCPC registered health professional with at least three years relevant post-qualification experience. Paramedic applicants must have at least five years’ experience since qualification, practising in your area of expertise for at least 12 months.  You must have the academic ability to study at level 7 (must have previously studied at level 6, as a minimum) and be competent in clinical/health assessment, diagnostics/care management and planning/evaluation of care (confirmed by your line manager) Paramedic applicants must have evidence of post-qualification study at level 7. In addition, you must have organisational governance structures in place to support you (including clinical support, access to protected learning time and employer support), a declaration of good character and a valid Enhanced DBS that adheres to your organisation’s governance policy.  

All applicants will be expected to have identified an area of clinical practice in which to develop your prescribing skills and have up-to-date clinical, pharmacological and pharmaceutical knowledge relevant to your intended area of prescribing practice. You will also be required to demonstrate how you take responsibility for your own continuing professional development and reflect on your own performance.  

Building on this, the module will provide you with the knowledge and skills to holistically assess individual patients and implement safe prescribing as an autonomous practitioner. This module will extend your workplace-based experience and give you the credentials to become a Supplementary and/or Independent prescriber in your area of clinical practice. As a GPhC requirement, pharmacists will be expected to arrange supervised practice with an appropriate Designated Prescribing Practitioner.  NMC-registrants will be expected to arrange supervised practice with an appropriate Practice Assessor and Practice Supervisor. HCPC registrants will be expected to arrange supervised practice with an appropriate Practice Educator. The supervisors must be named at the point of application for the course and must sign the student application form to confirm their agreement.   

On successful completion of this module, you will be awarded the Practice Certificate in Independent and Supplementary Prescribing. This freestanding qualification makes you eligible to apply for Independent/Supplementary Prescriber status annotation on the GPhC/NMC/HCPC register. 

This programme will provide you with the knowledge and skills to holistically assess individual patients and implement safe prescribing as an autonomous practitioner and extend your workplace-based experience. You will develop the practitioner’s ability to analyse and evaluate information from a variety of sources and available evidence so that shared prescribing decisions can be agreed with the patient and their carers.  

A blended approach to learning will be achieved through taught sessions, clinical skills practice, problem-based learning and case-based discussion along with the support of online resources and moderated activities on the University of Exeter’s electronic learning platforms. Expert tutors and guest lecturers will represent an appropriately diverse range of clinical and research backgrounds. 

This blended learning approach will incorporate: 

The e-learning, delivered via ELE, will consist of three units comprising: 

Contact days will include: 

Practice work experience placement will include: 

The learning outcomes of the course are mapped to the RPS Competency Framework for all Prescribers (2016), in addition to any additional standards set by the three accrediting bodies (GPhC, NMC and HCPC). Successful completion of the course will require all of RPS competencies for prescribers to be met. 

On successful completion of the module, you will be awarded the Practice Certificate in Independent and Supplementary Prescribing and receive 45 credits at NQF level 7. Pharmacists will meet all the GPhC learning outcomes to achieve accreditation for annotation on the GPhC register as an Independent Prescriber.  NMC-registrants and other allied-health professionals will meet the relevant standards set by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) and the Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC) to achieve accreditation for annotation as an Independent/Supplementary Prescriber. 

Full details of assessment regulations for all taught programmes can be found in the TQA Manual, specifically in the Credit and Qualifications Framework, and the Assessment, Progression and Awarding: Taught Programmes Handbook.  

Additional information, including Generic Marking Criteria, can be found in the Learning and Teaching Support Handbook.  

All assessments for this programme are non-condonable. In any assessment, a failure to identify a serious problem or an answer which would cause the patient harm will result in overall failure of the programme.�All assessments are required to be passed for successful completion of the programme. 

Academic Personal tutoring: It is University policy that all Colleges should have in place a system of academic personal tutors. The role of your academic personal tutor is to provide you with advice and support for the duration of the programme and extends to providing you with details of how to obtain support and guidance on personal difficulties such as accommodation, financial difficulties and sickness. You can also make an appointment to see individual teaching staff.��� 

Resources: A Student Handbook will be provided which includes information about the structure of the programme, learning resources available, assessment methods, criteria, and regulations and student support services. A DPP Handbook will also be provided to designated prescribing practitioners, practice assessors and practice educators which includes information about the DPP role, the structure of the programme, learning resources available, assessment methods, criteria and regulations and student support services. The module will be supported by the University of Exeter’s ‘Exeter Learning Environment' (ELE). The module has an ELE page and discussion board for information, announcements and resources. ELE also hosts library links, including a list of electronic journals held by the University of Exeter. There is a page called Library and Research Skills, where you will find a whole host of additional resources to support you in the development of your writing skills, reading skills, generic research skills and study strategies.��� 

Student/Staff Liaison Committee: This�enables students & staff to jointly participate in the management and review of the teaching and learning provision.