Independent Prescribing for Pharmacists PgCert
PgCert Independent Prescribing for Pharmacists
Overview
If you're an experienced practising pharmacist and want to further your career in a specialist area, such as mental health, critical care or HIV medicine, joining our PgCert Independent Prescribing for Pharmacists course is the perfect way to fulfil your ambitions.
On this course, you'll develop your clinical examination, pharmacology and therapeutics skills, and build on your understanding of evidence-based management of common medical conditions.
And when you graduate, you'll be qualified for a career as an independent prescriber within a clinical setting.
Entry requirements
PgCert Independent Prescribing for Pharmacists entry requirements
Qualifications or experience
- A Pharmacy degree (BSc, BPharm or MPharm) with a minimum classification of 2.2, registration as a practising pharmacist with the General Pharmaceutical Council and two year's UK-based patient-facing experience post-registration.
- Applicants require the written agreement of a Designated Medical Practitioner to mentor them throughout the course and the support of their employing organisation where applicable.
English language requirements
- English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 7.0 with no component score below 7.0.
If you don't meet the English language requirements yet, you can achieve the level you need by successfully completing a pre-sessional English programme before you start your course.
Selection process
- All shortlisted applicants are subject to interview.
Qualifications or experience
- A Pharmacy degree (BSc, BPharm or MPharm) with a minimum classification of 2.2, registration as a practising pharmacist with the General Pharmaceutical Council and two year's UK-based patient-facing experience post-registration.
- Applicants require the written agreement of a Designated Medical Practitioner to mentor them throughout the course and the support of their employing organisation where applicable.
English language requirements
- English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 7.0 with no component score below 7.0.
If you don't meet the English language requirements yet, you can achieve the level you need by successfully completing a pre-sessional English programme before you start your course.
Selection process
- All shortlisted applicants are subject to interview.
What you'll experience
On this course, you'll:
- Learn from experts in the School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, and the School of Health and Care Professions
- Get hands-on experience in clinical examination and history taking
- Study topics including pharmacology and therapeutics for prescribers, clinical skills for prescribers, and professional aspects of prescribing
- Improve your counselling and consultation skills in our practice dispensary facilities, where you'll consult with patient actors
- Build on your clinical simulation expertise in our clinical skills suite, featuring both CAE and Laerdal human patient simulators
- Be supported by experienced clinical pharmacists as you develop your competencies portfolio
Careers and opportunities
What can you do with a Independent Prescribing for Pharmacists qualification?
Graduates have gone on to take roles in:
- Mental health
- Rheumatology
- Minor ailments
- Pain management
- Nutrition
- Travel medicine
- Critical care
- Cardiology
- Renal disease
- HIV medicine
We'll provide you with as much support as possible in finding employment through close industrial contacts, careers events, recruitment fairs and individual advice.
Work experience and career planning
We'll help you to find opportunities that will complement your studies.
When you finish the course, our Careers and Employability service can help you find a job that puts your skills to work in the healthcare industry.
After you leave the University, you can get help, advice and support for up to 5 years as you advance in your career.
What you'll study on this PgCert Independent Prescribing for Pharmacists course
Modules currently being studied
- Clinical Skills for Prescribers
- Pharmacology and Therapeutics for Prescribers
- Professional Aspects of Prescribing
We use the best and most current research and professional practice alongside feedback from our students to make sure course content is relevant to your future career or further studies.
Therefore, some course content may change over time to reflect changes in the discipline or industry.
Learning support
As well as support by faculty teaching staff and your personal tutor, you can use the University’s Academic Skills Unit (ASK).
ASK provides one-to-one support in areas such as:
academic writingnote takingtime managementcritical thinkingpresentation skillsreferencing working in groupsrevision , memory and exam techniques
Support with English
If English isn't your first language, you can do one of our English language courses to improve your written and spoken English language skills before starting your degree. Once you're here, you can take part in our free In-Sessional English (ISE) programme to improve your English further.
Teaching
Teaching on this course includes:
- online learning
- seminars
- workshops
- practice
How you'll spend your time
Each academic year is divided into 2 teaching blocks:
- September to December – teaching block 1
- January to May (early February to May for some courses in 2020/21 only) – teaching block 2
How you're assessed
You'll be assessed through:
- written examination
- OSCE
- practical skills assessment
- written case studies and therapeutic reviews
- portfolio of competencies and reflective accounts
Course costs
Tuition fees (February 2021 start)
UK, Channel Islands and Isle of Man students – £2,430 per year (may be subject to annual increase)
EU students – awaiting confirmation
International students – £2,430 per year (may be subject to annual increase)
Tuition fees (September 2021 and January 2022 start)
UK, Channel Islands and Isle of Man students – £2,480 per year (may be subject to annual increase)
EU students– awaiting confirmation
International students – £2,480 per year (may be subject to annual increase)
Additional course costs
These course-related costs aren’t included in the tuition fees. So you’ll need to budget for them when you plan your spending.
Additional costs
Our accommodation section shows your accommodation options and highlights how much it costs to live in Portsmouth.
You’ll study up to 6 units a year. You may have to read several recommended books or textbooks for each unit.
You can borrow most of these from the Library. If you buy these, they may cost up to £60 each.
We recommend that you budget £75 a year for photocopying, memory sticks, DVDs and CDs, printing charges, binding and specialist printing.
If your final year includes a major project, there could be cost for transport or accommodation related to your research activities. The amount will depend on the project you choose.
Apply
February 2021 start
- Part-time study February 2021 start (1 year)
September 2021 or January 2022 start
- Part-time study September 2021 start (1 year)
- Part-time study January 2022 start (1 year)
International students
If you're from outside of the UK, you can apply directly to us (above) or you can get an agent to help with your application. Check your country page for details of agents in your region. To find out what to include in your application, head to the how to apply page of our international students section.
If you don’t meet the English language requirements for this course yet, you can achieve the level you need by successfully completing a pre-sessional English programme before you start your course.
Admissions terms and conditions
When you accept an offer to study at the University of Portsmouth, you also agree to abide by our Student Contract (which includes the University's relevant policies, rules and regulations). You should read and consider these before you apply.
- Subject area
- Health Care and Social Care
