Non-Medical Prescribing Module

Applications are now closed for January 2025, the next intake for this course is January 2026.

Course overview

Develop the skills and evidence-based knowledge to undertake safe, appropriate and cost-effective independent and supplementary prescribing roles in our course designed for nurses, midwives and SPHN where there is a clinical need.

Taught by experienced practitioners and lecturers, this course will build on your existing knowledge base and physical assessment skills to further enhance autonomous practice.

The aim of this course is to successfully develop nurses who are safe non-medical prescribers who are competent to assess, manage and prescribe in their area of clinical expertise, working in conjunction with their patients, and multidisciplinary team to give holistic care. Expertise and awareness of limitations are key to accountability and safe prescribing. It is our role to provide the support, knowledge and development of professionalism which will achieve these nurses.

Armed with these contemporary insights and valuable skills you will not only enhance your practice and career prospects for the future but obtain 45 credits at Level 6 or 7 to put towards a BSc degree, BSc Midwifery (Top Up), MSc Midwifery Studies, MSc Nursing Studies , or MSc Mental Health Studies if you wish.

This course has been accredited by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).

Course content

The focus of the syllabus will address pharmacological principles including pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, and the principles of prescribing with specialist groups, the elderly, children, pregnancy, liver and renal disease. Students will be encouraged to relate theory to practice, so that they fully understand pharmacological principles

The principles of ethical, legal and pharmaceutical influences will be discussed, along with safe prescribing and the reduction of risks, and the reasons for errors. Consultation skills and the causes of adverse incidents, yellow card reporting, social prescribing and clinical governance, along with how to utilise the British National Formulary and other online resources to ensure knowledge and prescribing safe. The importance of professionalism, accountability, supervision and professional development during and on completion of the course will be addressed.

On successful completion of this module you should be able to safely prescribe under Royal Pharmaceutical Society: A competency framework for all prescribers (2021):

• Able to assess of patients in specialist area of competency, investigating and interpreting the appropriate treatment and management, reviewing adherence and seeking guidance when needed
• Displays knowledge of non-pharmacological and pharmacological approaches to modifying disease and promoting public health using evidence-based practice. Understands the pharmacokinetics of medicines and how these can be altered by age, genetics, pregnancy, renal and liver impairment
• Works effectively in partnership with patients respecting their values and beliefs about health, understanding reasons for adherence and non-adherence
• Demonstrates prescribing expertise and pharmacological knowledge using relevant frameworks such as formularies, care pathways and protocols and guidelines in prescribing practice. Accurately calculates relevant prescribing and dosing of medications
• Shows understanding of the psychological impact patient’s conditions in their area of expertise. How to inform, support and manage these conditions in partnership with patients
• Monitor and review patient’s treatment, awareness of adverse drug reactions and reporting mechanisms, adapting management in response to changing medical conditions and patients’ preferences
• Demonstrates prescribing governance, highlighting the importance of safe prescribing, near misses, errors and critical incidents
• Demonstrates professional prescribing, accountability and responsibility through critically analysing legal and ethical implications to prescribing practice
• Analyses and reflects on own and others prescribing practice and acts upon feedback, utilising available tools to improve prescribing. Using appropriate mechanisms acts upon unsafe prescribing practice
• Works effectively as a senior member of the clinical team establishing relationships, negotiating support and supervision; acting as support and role model for other prescribers.

Assessment

You will be assessed through both a Numeracy exam, Pharmacology Paper, Practice Assessment Document demonstrating 78 hours supervised practice patient feedbacks and Reflective assignments. The final written examination comprises of twenty short answer and MCQ questions.

Entry requirements

• You must be a registered nurse with a minimum of one year post-registration experience (part time equivalent)
• You must provide evidence of ability to study at Level 6 with a good command of written and spoken English
• You must be able to demonstrate a good standard of numeracy skills
• You must hold a current DBS (within the last three years at the end of the course)
• You must have completed the physical assessment course or be doing this as part of the Postgraduate Certificate in Prescribing or Graduate Certificate in Prescribing
• Your prescribing lead confirms that you have expertise in your clinical area
• You will be competent in clinical history-taking, undertaking clinical assessments and diagnosing in your area of practice
• There must be a clinical need to prescribe within the current role.

Teaching information

Interview dates 25th and 26th November

Teaching dates (mix of online and on campus):

Online induction 8th January 2025

(these dates are provisional)

Teaching days:

• 15th, 22nd, 29th January
• 5th, 12th, 26th February 
• 5th, 12th, 19th, 26th March
• 2nd  April

Possible self directed revision days 8th and 9th April

Proposed Exam day 16th or 23rd April TBC

Tutorials 6th or 7th May, 11th June

How to apply

To apply for this module, please download and complete the Entry Criteria Form then complete the Nursing CPD application form. The Entry Criteria form requires you to get signatures from your lead prescriber, your manager and supervisor. Please ensure to upload your completed Entry Criteria form when submitting the completed application form.

Note, both forms must be submitted together for your application to be considered. If you do not send an entry criteria, your application will not be processed without it.

Applications should be submitted before the end of September, for shortlisting for interview. Shortlisted applicants will be invited to a 20-minute online interview via Zoom. You will be interviewed by a member of the teaching team and a service user. Applicants who are a successful at interview will be offered a place for the January intake.

Fees and funding

The fees* below refer to the 2024/25 academic year unless otherwise stated.

£65 per credit
£2925 for 45 credits

*Course fees are subject to annual inflation.

There are several funding options available:

• receiving course fees via CPPD contracts between NHS trusts and Middlesex University
  paying your own fees
• sponsorship by your employer (but not under a CPPD contract).
• For more information for any of these options, including fee rates for self-funding/employer-sponsored students, please visit our dedicated funding page.