Independent and Supplementary Prescribing

Entry requirements

We welcome applications from those who are:

• a registered Nurse (level 1) or Midwife or Specialist Community Public Health Nursing registrant or Health and Care Professions Council registrant whose profession is legislated as being able to act as a prescriber
• employed or self-employed as a registered Nurse or a registered Health Care Professional (including NHS and non-NHS settings)
• capable of safe and effective practice in clinical/health assessment, diagnostics/care management and planning and evaluation of care
• at least 1 year post registration, prior to application on to the course

Please see the University website for full details.

Months of entry

February

Course content

The independent and Supplementary Prescribing Course at Worcester is a multi-professional course which fundamentally enables practitioners within their therapeutic areas and clinical specialities from a variety of clinical settings to develop safe and effective prescribing practice.

By building on your existing knowledge and experience, as well as health assessment skills-autonomous practice and professional development are enhanced whilst prescribing safely, appropriately, and cost-effectively in line with your professional and regulatory standard and code of conduct.

This Masters Level 30-credit six-month blended learning course has 2 intakes per academic year. It is delivered part time and is currently open to Nurses, Paramedics, Physiotherapists, Podiatrists and Therapeutic Radiographers. At Masters level there is an expectation that you act autonomously in planning your study and time in practice. The workshops, competency portfolio and assessments will expect you to be able to consider and evidence complex issues and demonstrate sound clinical decision-making, sometimes in the absence of all information.

The prescribing courses offered at Worcester are accredited by the NMC and HCPC and are suitable for Nurses and Allied Health Professionals who meet the professional requirement to independently and supplementary prescribe from the BNF, BNF(C) and the NPF.

Key features

• Delivered by specialist lecturers, practitioners, and tutors with extensive experience in prescribing in the acute and community sectors
• The course is delivered using a blended learning approach, utilising a combination of face-to-face study days, online learning platforms, 1-to-1 tutorials and asynchronous self-directed resources.
• Learning in practice will support development under the supervision of your Designated Prescribing Practitioner (DPP). NMC registrants require the support of a practice supervisor in addition to the DPP.
• Can be taken as a standalone course, as part Masters In Advanced Clinical Practice or the Advanced Clinical Practitioner Apprenticeship
• Approved by the NMC and HCPC against the Standards for Prescribing

Course content

Our Independent and Supplementary Prescribing courses lead to the following professional awards:

• Independent and Supplementary Prescriber for Nurses (V300) (Level 7)
• Independent and Supplementary Prescriber for Allied Health Professionals (Level 7)

They can also be taken as part of the MSc Advanced Clinical Practice or be recognised for credit towards the MSc Advanced Clinical Practice Apprenticeship.

The course content will support you to achieve safe and effective prescribing practice through consultation, assessment, negotiation, prescribing, monitoring and review as set out in the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (2021) A Competency Framework for all Prescribers.

Content will include:

• Consultation and clinical decision-making with patients and carers
• Cost effective and safe prescribing, de-prescribing, administration and review within the framework of professional accountability and responsibility
• Pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics and pharmaco-therapeutics for appropriate, cost effective, safe and competent prescribing across the life spans
• Psychology of prescribing, concordance and achieving patient centred outcomes
• Inter-professional and multidisciplinary working within national, and local guidelines, policies and frameworks
• Current legal and ethical aspects of prescribing
• Prescribing within the public health arena and social prescribing
• Supplementary prescribing – the tripartite roles and responsibilities, the development of a clinical management plan and monitoring and review

The skills of literature searching, using and evaluating sources, critical thinking, critical analysis, critical reading of texts and the influence of local, national and professional policy will provide a constant backdrop to all course content.

Teaching

A blended learning approach is utilised. Active learning is facilitated through discussion and analysis of cases, policies and examples from the health and social care sector. Therefore, participation is encouraged and required throughout. Individualised learning is promoted by applying learning outcomes and content to the students’ particular speciality and scope of practice, with subsequent discussion to compare and contrast interprofessional learning experiences.

Contact time

The course typically includes a balance of theory and practice learning with a minimum of 72 hours taught content and a minimum 72 hours of clinically supervised practice learning, relevant to the student’s current professional working area over two terms. The taught component will be in 6 x 2-day blocks within the first term with independent study, including online learning component, throughout the duration of the course. The clinically supervised hours should be arranged by the student in negotiation with the Practice Assessor and Practice Supervisor over the duration of the course.

Independent self-study

In addition to contact time, you are expected to undertake a significant amount of self directed and guided study. Typically, this will involve 150 hours across the course.

Careers

The Independent and Supplementary Prescribing courses opens up autonomous practice to the experienced clinician. The Advanced Practice role is at the heart of the modernisation agenda for the NHS to increase capacity, make effective use of the skilled clinicians working in the acute and community sectors and to improve patient outcomes.