School of Pharmacy

Postgraduate Credit Practice Certificate in Independent Prescribing

Postgraduate Credit Part-time 6 months

After gaining the Practice Certificate in Independent Prescribing you will be eligible for annotation by the GPhC as an independent prescriber, and will therefore be entitled to practice in this capacity in a variety of roles throughout primary and secondary care pharmacy.

After gaining the Practice Certificate in Independent Prescribing you will be eligible for annotation by the GPhC as an independent prescriber, and will therefore be entitled to practice in this capacity in a variety of roles throughout primary and secondary care pharmacy.

Award
Postgraduate Credit
Start date(s)
13 January 2025,20 September 2024
UCAS Code
Course specifications
Course length
Part-time (6 months)
Campus location
Wolverhampton City Campus
UCAS points calculator

Why choose this course?

This course is a 40-credit module which is open to registered pharmacists with at least two years post-registration experience in a clinical, patient-facing role.

The course leader and admissions tutor for this course is Shabana Chaudary, please contact them via e-mail s.chaudary@wlv.ac.uk

Upon successful completion of the 40-credit module, you will be awarded the Practice Certificate in Independent Prescribing from the University of Wolverhampton. Your name will then be forwarded to the Registrar of the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC), and you will be eligible to apply for annotation on the GPhC Register as an Independent Prescriber. This entitles you, with the support of your employer (unless self-employed), to practice as a Supplementary or Independent Prescriber.

You may also choose to study an optional 20-credit module in Advanced Health Assessment Skills, to give you additional confidence and expertise in managing your patients. Successful completion of both modules will lead to the additional award of the Postgraduate Certificate in Prescribing Studies, which will provide evidence to employing organisations of your ability to practice (including prescribing) at an advanced level in your chosen therapeutic area. However, this is entirely optional and you may choose to exit after completing only the Practice Certificate in Independent Prescribing (module code 7PY019).

 

What happens on the course?

1. Consultation, decision-making assessment and review

2. Influences on and psychology of prescribing
 
3. Prescribing in a team context
 
4. Applied Therapeutics
 
5. Evidence-based practice and clinical governance
 
6. Legal policy, professional and ethical aspects
 
7. Prescribing in the public health context
 

September intake 2023 – Prescribing module (7PY019) 

Course start date 22nd September

Course lead: Shabana Chaudary

STUDY DAY DATES:

  • First study day 16th of January - online
  • Second study day 17th of January - on campus (Wolverhampton Campus)
  • Study day 3 - 18th January  (Wolverhampton Campus)
  • Study day 4: 6 March 2024  (Wolverhampton Campus)
  • Study day 5: 7 of March 2024  (Wolverhampton Campus)
  • Study day 6 - 20th of June
  • Study day 7 - 18th of July

Course Modules

Potential Career Paths

After gaining the Practice Certificate in Independent Prescribing you will be eligible for annotation by the GPhC as an independent prescriber, and will therefore be entitled to practice in this capacity in a variety of roles throughout primary and secondary care pharmacy.

Additional Information

Everything you need to know about this course!

It is a requirement of the GPhC that the Independent Prescribing course must include a substantial face-to-face teaching element. The timing of the face-to-face study days (one block of three days, followed by three individual study days) has therefore been arranged outside the main school holiday periods to facilitate the release of pharmacists from their existing posts in order to attend the university.

You will also have the benefit of being taught by tutors who are themselves Pharmacist Independent Prescribers, assisted by medical practitioners and other expert staff with comprehensive experience in postgraduate teaching and learning.
 

At the end of this course you, the student, will be able to:

1. Prescribe safely, appropriately and cost effectively, in line with the legal, ethical and professional framework for accountability; within a prescribing partnership where appropriate.
 
2. Communicate effectively with patients, carers and other healthcare professionals, and make shared treatment decisions with these groups as appropriate.
 
3. Apply clinical assessment skills to recognize the signs and symptoms of illness, to take patient histories, to form a diagnosis and to formulate, modify and review treatment plans as appropriate.
 
4. Accurately choose and use appropriate diagnostic aids for prescribing and monitoring treatment.
 
5. Recognise, evaluate and respond to evidence-based information, advice, relevant national/local guidelines and individual patient requirements when prescribing.
 
6. Work within all aspects of current clinical governance frameworks.

Location Mode Fee Year
Home Part-time £2051 per year 2022-23
Home Part-time £2051 per year 2022-23
Home Part-time £2153 per year 2023-24
Home Part-time £2153 per year 2023-24
Home Part-time £2261 per year 2024-25

These fees relate to new entrants only for the academic year indicated for entry onto the course, any subsequent years study may be subject to an annual increase, usually in line with inflation.

You must be registered as a pharmacist with either the GPhC or the PSNI, and have a minimum of two years’ post-registration experience in a clinical, patient-facing role. We require the written support of your employer (unless self-employed) to undertake this course, and you must have the support and agreement from a suitably experienced medical doctor in your chosen field of clinical practice who is willing and eligible to act as your Designated Medical Practitioner (DMP) for the Practice Certificate in Independent Prescribing.

Those applying from outside the UK/EU must provide written evidence of a good standard of written and spoken English (IELTS 7.0 or equivalent), and must be employed in an appropriate role within the UK to be able to meet the GPhC requirements for the learning in practice elements of the course.   At the discretion of the course leader, all potential students may be required to participate in a telephone interview with the course leader or deputy leader to confirm their eligibility for the course.

Also as part of this course you will be required to attend all 6 of the face to face study days. Each study day contains a number of developmental activities which form a compulsory part of your reflective portfolio and are essential to achieving a pass.

General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)

"Accredited by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) in order to progress to pharmacist pre-registration training and then to register as a pharmacist. Please note, the 5-year integrated MPharm degree programme includes pre-registration training."

Postgraduate Loyalty Discount:

You can get 20% discount on a taught postgraduate course if you’re a University of Wolverhampton Graduate.

The University offers a generous 20% Loyalty Discount to students progressing from an undergraduate programme to a taught postgraduate on-site programme, where both courses are University of Wolverhampton Awards.

There is no time limit on how long ago you completed your degree as long as this is your first Masters level qualification.

The discount applies to the first year of enrolment only. Students who receive a loyalty discount are not entitled to any further tuition discount or bursary. For full terms and conditions click here.


Self-funded:

If you are paying for the fees yourself then the fees can be paid in 3 instalments: November, January and April. More information can be found by clicking here.


Sponsored - Your employer, embassy or organisation can pay for your Tuition fees:

Your employer, embassy or organisation agrees to pay all or part of your tuition fees; the University will refer to them as your sponsor and will invoice them for the appropriate amount.

We must receive notification of sponsorship in writing as soon as possible, and before enrolment, confirming that the sponsor will pay your tuition fees.


Financial Hardship:

Students can apply to the Dennis Turner Opportunity Fund for help with course related costs however this cannot be used for fees or to cover general living costs.


Charitable Funding:

You might also want to explore the possibility of funding from charitable trusts; please see the following websites Association of Charitable Foundations, Directory of Social Change or Family Action. Most charities and trust funds offer limited bursaries targeted to specific groups of students so you will need to research whether any of them are relevant to your situation.

You can find more information on the University’s Funding, cost, fee and support pages.

Telephone

01902 32 22 22

Email

enquiries@wlv.ac.uk

Online

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