Intro

In line with the NHS Long Term Plan pharmacists are recognised as essential members of the multidisciplinary team, working collaboratively to provide integrated care to patients. As the role continues to evolve, independent prescribing has become a fundamental aspect of professional development for pharmacists.

Our Enhanced Prescribing for Pharmacists module is taught at masters level (level 7). You will develop the knowledge and skills to assess patients’ health conditions, make informed clinical decisions, and prescribe appropriate medications safely and effectively within your defined scope of practice. 

Successful completion of the programme leads to the award of the Practice Certificate in Independent Prescribing which is accepted by the GPhC for registration as an independent prescriber.

To apply see the entry criteria section below for more information and the application form.

Find out about postgraduate events

Key facts

Location Brighton: Moulsecoomb

Duration Six months – 30 credits of learning

Start dates
September 2024 – applications are open. Check the entry criteria below carefully before downloading the application form.

Accredited by the GPhC

Application deadline
18 August 2024

Entry criteria

Entry requirements

To be considered for enrolment on this module you will need the following: 

  • be registered as a pharmacist with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) or, in Northern Ireland, with the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland (PSNI)
  • be in good standing with the GPhC and/or PSNI and any other healthcare regulator with which you are registered
  • have appropriate patient-oriented experience post-registration, in a relevant UK practice setting relevant to the suggested scope of practice
  • have an identified area of clinical or therapeutic practice in which to develop independent prescribing practice. You must also have relevant clinical or therapeutic experience in that area, which is suitable to act as the foundation of their prescribing practice while training
  • have a designated prescribing practitioner (DPP) who has agreed to supervise your learning in practice. 

You will need to have written confirmation from: 

  • your employer/sponsor or supporting organisation stating their support for you to undertake the module at the University of Brighton
  • a designated prescribing practitioner who meets eligibility criteria as set out by the RPS 2019 Competency Framework for Designated Prescribing Practitioners and has agreed to provide the required term of supervised practice.

In addition to the entry requirements, you will need to:

  • show reflection on your own performance and take responsibility for your own CPD
  • NOT have previously been enrolled on a course at another institution leading to a Practice Certificate in Independent Prescribing
  • commit to 26 days of learning over six months (including guided, face-to-face, and independent study), and 12 days of time in practice
  • be able to attend all face-to-face study days. Dates for the September 2024 cohort are:
    • Friday 13 September 
    • Friday 27 September 
    • Friday 11 October
    • Friday 25 October 
    • Friday 15 November 
    • Friday 29 November (this study day is optional)
    • Assessment day: Friday 28 February

Please see the How to apply tab for more information and a link to the application form.

Further information on the requirements of a Designated Prescribing Practitioner is available on the RPS website. 

How to apply

Application to this course is through the form in the link provided.

Start date
September 2024

Download the form and read through the process section on page 2. This will guide you through your application.

If you are self-funding, or have secured funding from your employer, please complete the application in full — Sections A, B and C. If you require NHSE funding complete Sections A and B and highlight in Section C that you are seeking NHSE funding. We will need confirmation of funding routes (by completing Section C of the application) before you are accepted on to the programme.

Note: Hand-written applications will not be accepted.

Deadline – The application deadline for September 2024 start date is 18 August 2024. We cannot accept applications received after this date. Decisions on applications will be notified by 6 September 2024.

Make sure that you fill in, or provide, all of the required information. Failure to do so means that your form will be returned to you and you may miss the application deadline.

Download the application form (Word doc)

DPP support 

Designated pharmaceutical practitioner (DPP) support

You'll be required to find an appropriate DPP for the duration of the programme. The university is not able to support with finding a suitable DPP, however there are a number of private services available to you, such as the DPP finding service – DPP Connect.

Group supervision
We know and endorse that group supervision can be a fantastic way to upskill and train prescribing trainees. However, DPP's are also responsible for making 1:1 training an option for trainees, as some trainees may not work and learn well in a group environment. This is the student's decision and not the DPPs.

 

 

 

DPP resources

There are also training packages available for DPPs who might be new to supervising trainee prescribers.

Course content

Why choose Brighton?

  • Our Enhanced Prescribing for Pharmacists module is a six-month programme, comprising of one 30 credit module. It has been developed in line with our pharmacy degrees and with local and national stakeholder involvement.
  • Run by the School of Applied Sciences, with close ties to the School of Education, Sport and Health Sciences and the Brighton and Sussex Medical School, it is part of a range of postgraduate study options supporting the development of practising professionals. 
  • As a flipped learning module, you will be supported by our team in cultivating an environment of peer-learning and peer-support through interactive workshops and symposia to draw on professional lived experiences and embed the material learned in the guided study days. 
  • Apply using the application form in the How to apply section.
Pharmacy placement student in medicines room

Course structure

The course consists of 30 credits taken over six months. You are expected to complete 300 hours which equates to 26 days. This is in addition to 12 days (90 hours) in practice supervised by your designated prescribing practitioner.

It has been developed using a flipped learning approach. This means you undertake work on our virtual learning platform before attending in-person study days. There are five in-person study days with an additional four days of guided study before completing your time in practice. The in-person study days are:

  1. Induction and influences on prescribing
  2. Professionalism and prescribing safely
  3. Clinical decision-making
  4. Patient partnership and the right to choose
  5. Simulated learning activities (physical assessment skills)
  6. Additional physical assessment skills (optional)

There are a number of assessment methods used during the programme:

  • written assignment – therapeutic risk framework
  • portfolio – consisting of evidence and work-based assessments
  • practical skills assessment – case-based discussion presentation
  • practical skills assessment – OSCEs
Two females in a hospital setting looking at a screen and notes

Syllabus

Our course content has been mapped against the GPhC standards for the education and training of pharmacist independent prescribers, and guidance from the Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s (RPS) 2021 Competency Framework for all Prescribers.

Broad teaching themes include:

  • prescriptions legal and ethical 
  • professionalism 
  • evidence-based medicine 
  • clinical decision-making 
  • medicines optimisation and patient safety 
  • public health 
  • pharmacology and calculations 
  • working within an MDT 
  • prescribing workshops
  • consultation skills
  • assessment skills.

Please note that before any prescribing can be undertaken, appropriate registration with the GPhC as an independent prescriber is required. There may also be local governance requirements made by your employer which must also be complied with in advance. 

Further information about the GPhC accreditation process is available on the GPhC website. 

Two pharmacy students using stethoscope on SIM Man patient simulation dummy

Student using the SimMan 3G – a highly advanced patient simulator

Meet the team

Connor Thompson, course leader 

Connor is a University of Brighton graduate and completed his postgraduate diploma and residency at University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. After his residency he advancing to a specialist prescribing role at King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, supporting hepatobiliary and viral hepatology services as a prescribing pharmacist.

Connor combines his clinical experience with a forward-thinking approach to pharmacist training. He is deeply committed to ensuring equality of access to both education and healthcare, recognising the role of pharmacists in advancing sustainable and equitable healthcare solutions. In his teaching, he emphasises the importance of inclusive, patient-centred care and the pharmacist's evolving responsibilities in supporting health equity and sustainable practices.

As Programme Lead, Connor’s vision for the Enhanced Prescribing for Pharmacists programme is to equip pharmacists with the clinical, diagnostic, and prescribing skills essential for today’s dynamic healthcare environments. He actively incorporates the shifting landscape of healthcare into his curriculum, preparing pharmacists for expanded roles that meet the increasing demands of the profession. Connor’s teaching is rooted in current practice through his clinical commitments with the gastroenterology team at University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, ensuring a rich, applied learning experience for his students.

An advocate for research-informed practice, Connor has presented his work at prestigious conferences, including UKCPA, BASL, AASLD and EAHP, underscoring his dedication to advancing both professional standards and patient outcomes. 

Connor Thompson

Careers

Non-medical prescribing has been part of UK healthcare for around 30 years. There are now increased opportunities for pharmacist independent prescribers to utilise their skills in clinical care settings as part of a multi-disciplinary team. The ability to do this without needing to consult another prescriber offers patients improved access to care.

A pharmacist discussing a prescription with a patient

Fees and costs

Course fees

UK2,500 GBP

Note: we are only able to accept students who are self-funding or have funding provided by their place of work as we currently do not appear on the HEE-funded independent prescribing courses list.

However we are anticipating funding for independent prescribing places from NHS England Workforce Training & Education. Until this is confirmed, applicants should follow the advice in our ‘How to Apply’ to prepare and submit their application before this. We will continue to accept applications; however, those who require NHSE funding will need to provide a final confirmation of the funding source before they can be offered a place. We will update our website once funding has been confirmed.

Fee information for this course for 2025 entry will be updated here no later than December 2024.

The fees listed here are for the first year of full-time study if you start your course in the academic year 2024–25.

You will pay fees for each year of your course. Some fees may increase each year.

UK undergraduate and some postgraduate fees are regulated by the UK government and increases will not be more than the maximum amount allowed. Course fees that are not regulated may increase each year by up to 5% or RPI (whichever is higher).

If you are studying part-time your fee will usually be calculated based on the number of modules that you take.

Find out more

Location and student life

Campus where this course is taught

Moulsecoomb campus

Two miles north of Brighton seafront, Moulsecoomb is our largest campus and student village. Moulsecoomb has been transformed by a recent development of our estate. On campus you'll find new Students' Union, events venue, and sports and fitness facilities, alongside the library and student centre.

Over 900 students live here in our halls, Moulsecoomb Place and the new Mithras halls – Brunswick, Goldstone, Hanover, Preston and Regency.

Moulsecoomb has easy access to buses and trains and to all the exciting things happening in our home city.

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Accommodation

We guarantee an offer of a place in halls of residence to all eligible students. So if you applied for halls by the deadline you are guaranteed a room in our halls of residence.

Brighton: Moulsecoomb

Halls of residence
We have self-catered halls on all our campuses, within minutes of your classes, and other options that are very nearby.

You can apply for any of our halls, but the options closest to your study location are:

  • Mithras Halls are stylish new high-rises in the heart of the student village at our revitalised Moulsecoomb campus with ensuite rooms for more than 800 students.
  • Varley Park is a popular dedicated halls site, offering a mix of rooms and bathroom options at different prices. It is around two miles from Moulsecoomb campus and four miles from the city centre, and is easy to get to by bus.

Want to live independently?
We can help – find out more about private renting.

Relaxing in halls

Modern accommodation at Moulsecoomb

Mithras halls room with a view

Relaxing in halls near the campus

Student Union social space

Student Union social space at Moulsecoomb

Local area

About Brighton

The city of Brighton & Hove is a forward-thinking place which leads the way in the arts, technology, sustainability and creativity. You'll find living here plays a key role in your learning experience.

Brighton is a leading centre for creative media technology, recently named the startup capital of the UK.

The city is home to a national 5G testbed and over 1,000 tech businesses. The digital sector is worth over £1bn a year to the local economy - as much as tourism.

All of our full-time undergraduate courses involve work-based learning - this could be through placements, live briefs and guest lectures. Many of these opportunities are provided by local businesses and organisations.

It's only 50 minutes by train from Brighton to central London and there are daily direct trains to Bristol, Bedford, Cambridge, Gatwick Airport, Portsmouth and Southampton.

Map showing distance to London from Brighton
Brighton Beach sunset

Maps

Moulsecoomb campus map

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Support and wellbeing

Your course team

Your personal academic tutor, course leader and other tutors are all there to help you with your personal and academic progress. You'll also have a student support and guidance tutor (SSGT) who can help with everything from homesickness, managing stress or accommodation issues.

Your academic skills

Our Brighton Student Skills Hub gives you extra support and resources to develop the skills you'll need for university study, whatever your level of experience so far.

Your mental health and wellbeing

As well as being supported to succeed, we want you to feel good too. You'll be part of a community that builds you up, with lots of ways to connect with one another, as well having access to dedicated experts if you need them. Find out more about how we support your wellbeing.

Sport at Brighton

Sport Brighton

Sport Brighton brings together our sport and recreation services. As a Brighton student you'll have use of sport and fitness facilities across all our campuses and there are opportunities to play for fun, fitness or take part in serious competition. 

Find out more about Sport Brighton.

Sports scholarships

Our sports scholarship scheme is designed to help students develop their full sporting potential to train and compete at the highest level. We offer scholarships for elite athletes, elite disabled athletes and talented sports performers.

Find out more about sport scholarships.

Students playing frisbee

Stay in touch

Find out about postgraduate events

If you have any questions about the programme, the team would be more than happy to answer your questions.

Programme lead: Connor Thompson

Email: C.Thompson3@brighton.ac.uk

Deputy Programme Lead: Danny Bartlett

Email: d.bartlett@brighton.ac.uk

For more information about accredited independent prescribing courses visit the General Pharmaceutical Council website.

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