Cardiff School of Nursing and Midwifery Studies

Postgraduate Certificate in Non-Medical Prescribing  (PgCert)

This programme has been developed as a joint Postgraduate Certificate in Non-Medical Prescribing between the Cardiff School of Nursing & Midwifery Studies and the Welsh School of Pharmacy.

The introduction of prescribing by non-medical healthcare professionals is designed to provide patients with quicker access to medicines improve access to services and make better use of nurses’ and other health professionals’ skills (DH 2007).

Non-medical prescribing aims to provide patients with quicker and more efficient access to medicines, through the best use of the skills of trained nurses, midwives, pharmacists and allied health professionals. ‘Designed for life’ (Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) 2006) provided the policy driver to foster appropriate use of a skilled healthcare workforce to contribute to the introduction of more flexible team working, across the NHS in Wales. The drive to improve access to advice and services, without compromising patient safety has fuelled the need to increase capacity to meet demand for new ways of working, within appropriately prepared professional groups.

As of February 2007, Nurse, Midwife and Pharmacist Independent Prescribers (Department of Health 2006) who have completed the appropriate training can prescribe any licensed medicine for any medical condition within their competence, including some controlled drugs (WAG 2007). Allied health professionals (physiotherapists, podiatrists and radiographers) who have completed the appropriate training can register as Supplementary Prescribers and prescribe any medicine within an agreed, patient specific Clinical Management Plan.

This Non-Medical Prescribing programme will enable suitably qualified nurses, midwives or specialist community public health nurses, pharmacists and allied health professionals to undertake and complete preparation as non-medical prescribers.

All 2009 places are supported by the Welsh Assembly Government. (Contact the School for details).

Length of Course

The course runs over 2 semesters, from October to April. 

Format of Course

Two Modules will run concurrently over 24 weeks (Autumn and Spring terms). A combination of clinical and theoretical time which includes workshops/ self directed learning/taught days. Taught time consists of 20 study days at Cardiff University. The equivalent of 12 days (as a minimum) supervised learning in practice will be undertaken within the student clinical area.

Course Content

• Study days cover topics such as communication, the consultation process, decision-making, therapeutics, clinical patient assessment, and diagnosis and clinical governance.
• Supervised learning in practice, developing your clinical assessment, diagnostic and prescribing skills under the supervision of a Designated Supervising Medical Practitioner (DSMP), under terms agreed within a learning contract with your DSMP; this will include clinically based examination of competence.

Start date

Autumn 2010

For further details regarding the course, please contact:

Dave O’Neill
Position: Associate Lecturer: Adult Nursing: Non Medical Prescribing
Email: oneilld2@cf.ac.ukTelephone: +44 (0)29 2068 7810 Extension: 87810

Karen Hodson
Position: Lecturer: Welsh School of Pharmacy & Programme Manager: Non Medical Prescribing
Email: hodsonKL@cf.ac.ukTelephone: +44 (0)29 208 75806 Extension: 75806

Amanda Powell
Position: Associate Lecturer: Welsh School of Pharmacy: Non Medical Prescribing
Email: powellal1@cf.ac.ukTelephone: +44 (0)29 208 74538 Extension: 74538

Dean Routledge: Administrator Non Medical Prescribing

Email:routledged1@cf.ac.uk Telephone: +44 (0)29 208 74783

For further details regarding the application process, please contact:

See this course on the University's Coursefinder website.

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