credpg INDEPENDENT PRESCRIBING FOR PHARMACISTS (CREDIT ONLY UEA) (Part Time)
Course options
Key Details
- Attendance
- Part Time
- Award
- Postgraduate Credit (non-award bearing)
- Course Length
- 1 years
- Course Start Date
- October 2023
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Course Overview
This course enables you to demonstrate that you have met the required outcomes of an independent prescriber, as set by the GPhC. You will achieve this by attending our study days, completing e-learning, workplace activities, and the learning mutually agreed with the course team and your DPP.
You will benefit from multiple teaching methods to aid your learning, including 12 days in clinical practice under the supervision of a Designated Prescribing Practitioner and 13 compulsory study days, spread throughout the course.
The study days are small group, expert-facilitated interactive sessions, responsive to your individual needs.
Prior to each of them, you’ll need to complete a study pack, which will provide you with the required knowledge and direct work-based skill development activities to support the learning outcomes for the study day in question. The study day facilitator will then you set you a brief readiness test before you attend, so that they’re able to tailor their interactions with you on the day to, and you get the most out of it.
As a qualified pharmacist, you may already possess some of the underpinning clinical knowledge and skills required for the course, for example, through the prior completion of a clinical diploma. If you have evidence of experience or certification of competency you may be eligible for reduced study day attendance and a reduced fee.
Places on this course are limited to a maximum of 40 students per cohort (20 students per location).
This course may become full before the application deadline. Applicants will then be offered an alternative study location, or be offered a place on the next available course. Please contact the admissions team on pgt.admissions@uea.ac.uk if you have admissions queries, or the course team on pha.prescribing@uea.ac.uk if you have any course related questions.
Tailored to the requirements of clinically experienced pharmacists, our Independent Prescribing course will help you to become a competent prescriber.
Our multidisciplinary teaching team is comprised of practising clinical and prescribing pharmacists, doctors and nurses. The four-month, part-time course includes 12 days in clinical practice under the supervision of a Designated Prescribing Practitioner (DPP). You’ll also benefit from 13 study days with associated pre-study day activities, which you can adapt to your own needs. Working with a DPP, you’ll get to grips with the required skills in examination and diagnostics for you to perform in a prescribing role, and to pursue competency in these areas. The course also covers advanced consultation skills, clinical decision-making, law and ethics, and public health.
Study and Modules
Structure
This is a four-month, part-time course, with three intakes per year – February, June and October. Each intake group completes the same core module in its four months study period, worth a total of 40 credits.
Working with a Designated Prescribing Practitioner (DPP), you will identify the key skills in examination and diagnostics required for you to perform in a prescribing role, and to pursue competency in these areas.
Face-to-face taught sessions in the module will cover advanced consultation skills, clinical decision-making, law and ethics, and public health. This means that we can accommodate a diverse range of clinical specialities.
Compulsory Modules
Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring, review and update of modules. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes and their constituent modules, the University will endeavour to consult with students and others. It is also possible that the University may not be able to offer a module for reasons outside of its control, such as the illness of a member of staff. In some cases optional modules can have limited places available and so you may be asked to make additional module choices in the event you do not gain a place on your first choice. Where this is the case, the University will inform students.
Teaching and Learning
Teaching
Our multidisciplinary teaching team includes practising clinical and prescribing pharmacists, doctors and nurses.
The course features 12 days in clinical practice under the supervision of a Designated Prescribing Practitioner and 13 small group study days and associated pre-study day activities, all of which are compulsory.
Independent study
You will need to complete a study pack and brief readiness test prior to attending each study day. This will allow the day’s facilitator to assess your existing knowledge, and tailor your learning on the day.
Assessment
Assessment is 100% portfolio-based which requires a collection of evidence during the learning in practice, a simulated virtual patient consultation and a final portfolio review assessment.
To complete the course successfully you will also need to demonstrate:
- Attendance of all study days
- Completion of e-learning
- Completion of practice activities and assignments within the workplace
- Personal development planning and related evidence collection
Entry Requirements
- Degree Classification
- Any
- Degree Subject
- Pharmacy (MPharm or equivalent)
- Intakes
- There are three intakes for this course in February, June and October (starting 2023) each year.
Additional Information or Requirements
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You will need to provide a copy of your General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) certificate or verification of registered pharmacist status.
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Applicants must provide evidence of registration with either the GPhC or the PSNI.
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You must have a named designated prescribing practitioner (DPP) willing to supervise your training.
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Prescribers eligible to be a DPP must be:
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An experienced prescriber in a patient facing role in either a GP practice, secondary care or tertiary care, with a minimum of 3 years prescribing experience with appropriate knowledge and experience relevant to the trainee’s area of clinical practice.
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They must have up-to-date patient facing, clinical and diagnostic skills and evidence of demonstrating competence in an area of practice relevant to the field of practice that the pharmacist intends to prescribe.
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Experience or training in teaching and /or supervision in practice
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The support of their employer to undertake the role of a DPP.
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Meet the requirements of the DPP role in terms of responsibilities as outlined in A Competency Framework for Designated Prescribing Practitioners (RPS, 2019) DPP competency framework Dec 2019.pdf (rpharms.com) and Standards for the Education and Training of Pharmacist Independent Prescribers (GPhC, 2019). Standards for the education and training of pharmacist independent prescribers (pharmacyregulation.org)
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You must have arrangements in place to undertake 90 hours of learning in practice supervised by your DPP.
Fees and Funding
Tuition fees for the academic year 2023/24 are £2,322.
We estimate living expenses at £1,023 per month.
Further Information on tuition fees can be found here.
Course Related Costs
Please see Additional Course Fees for details of course-related costs.
How to Apply
IMPORTANT NOTE: Applications for October 2023 are now closed as the course is full.
Applications for February 2024 are now open.
Applications for Postgraduate Taught programmes at the University of East Anglia should be made directly to the University.
To apply please use our online application form.
The majority of study will be delivered online, with some face-to-face teaching to be delivered at either Norwich or Harlow.
Places on this course are limited to a maximum of 40 students per cohort (20 students per location) so early applications are encouraged.
The deadlines for submitting applications is the month before the intake, i.e. early January is the deadline for the February intake. However, please be advised that the course may become full before the application deadline.
Applicants will then be offered a place on the next available course. Please contact the course team on pha.prescribing@uea.ac.uk if you have any questions regarding the Independent prescribing course or have not submitted your application before the deadline.
FURTHER INFORMATION
If you would like to discuss your individual circumstances prior to applying please do contact us:
Postgraduate Admissions Office
Tel: +44 (0)1603 591515
Email: admissions@uea.ac.uk
International candidates are also encouraged to access the International Students section of our website.
Employability
After the Course
On successful completion of the course you’ll be eligible for the annotation of ‘Independent Prescriber’ on the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) Register of Pharmacists.
Careers
A degree at UEA will prepare you for a wide variety of careers. We've been ranked 1st for Job Prospects by StudentCrowd in 2022.
Independent prescribing in various clinical settings including, tertiary and secondary care, GP practice based and community pharmacy.