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PgCert|Postgraduate Taught

Prescribing for Pharmacists

Entry year
2024/25
Entry requirements
A primary degree in Pharmacy (minimum Bachelor degree)
Duration
1 year (Part-time)
Places available
30 (Part Time)

Do you want to advance your pharmacy career by becoming a non-medical prescriber?

This programme is accredited by both the General Pharmaceutical Council and Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland to train pharmacists as non-medical prescribers.

Students undertake online and work-based training and assessment in addition to a 5-day clinical skills residential in February at our Clinical Skills Centre on-campus in Belfast.

This programme has been developed to train pharmacists in Great Britain as non-medical prescribers.

Applications from pharmacists outside the UK will be considered on a case-by-case basis and must include evidence of support by the applicant’s employer.

If you are employed as a pharmacist in Northern Ireland and wish to train as a non-medical prescriber, please visit our PG Cert in Independent Prescribing.

Students undertake a 5-day clinical skills residential in January at our on-campus clinical skills teaching laboratories.

Prescribing for Pharmacists highlights

Professional Accreditations

This programme is accredited by both the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland and the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC).

Student Testimonials

Course Structure

Study part-time by distance learning

Course details

The programme is delivered via a combination of e-learning and work-based learning and includes 12 days in-practice training with a Designated Prescribing Practitioner, the purpose of which is to enable the student to develop and practice clinical examination skills relevant to the condition(s) for which they intend to prescribe.

E-learning modules are updated annually by subject experts and are delivered via the Queen's virtual learning environment.

In-practice training is documented in an e-portfolio, which, on successful completion, provides documentary evidence of meeting all of the competencies within the 'RPS Competency Framework for all Prescribers'.

Students attend a compulsory 5-day residential in Janury at Queen's, which includes workshops, clinical skills training and assessment.

People teaching you

IP Programme Leader


b.girvin@qub.ac.uk

Learning and Teaching

Learning opportunities associated with this course are outlined below:

  • Students complete their studies by distance/online learning without having to attend on-campus.

    This programme consists of a combination of e-learning, webinars, work-based learning and clinical skills workshops during the residential component.

Assessment

Awarding of the qualification is based on continuous assessment of coursework, clinical skills objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs) and completion of a competency-based in-practice training portfolio.

  • On completion, students may transfer their 60 credits to the PG Diploma/MSc in Advanced Clinical Pharmacy Practice. Students who do so still receive their prescribing practice certificate, which is required for GPhC and/or PSNI annotation as a pharmacist prescriber.

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Modules

Modules

The information below is intended as an example only, featuring module details for the current year of study (2023/24). Modules are reviewed on an annual basis and may be subject to future changes – revised details will be published through Programme Specifications ahead of each academic year.

  • Year 1

    Core Modules

    Disease Management (10 credits)
    Professionalism (10 credits)

Entrance requirements

A primary degree in Pharmacy (minimum Bachelor degree) from an institution approved by the University. Additionally all students must:
• Be registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) and/or the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland (PSNI) and be in good standing with the GPhC and/or PSNI.
• Have relevant patient-oriented experience in a UK pharmacy setting and be able to recognise, understand and articulate the skills and attributes required by a prescriber (guidance on how to demonstrate this will be provided following application).
• Have a designated prescribing practitioner (DPP) who has agreed to supervise the learning in practice element. The DPP must be medically qualified (GP in primary care or Consultant/SAS [specialist, associate specialist or specialty doctor] in hospital)*.
• Have an identified an area of clinical or therapeutic practice on which to base their learning - please note that the DPP must have clinical expertise and experience in this area.
• Be able to attend 5-day clinical skills residential in Belfast in January 2025 (dates to be confirmed).

* Further guidance on the type of experience and DPP requirements will be provided when applying for this programme.

Note: this programme is only open to students who are resident in Great Britain.

Applicants are advised to apply as early as possible and ideally no later than 31st July 2024 for courses which commence in late September. In the event that any programme receives a high number of applications, the University reserves the right to close the application portal. Notifications to this effect will appear on the Direct Application Portal against the programme application page.
https://www.qub.ac.uk/schools/SchoolofPharmacy/Filestore/Filetoupload,894791,en.pdf

International Students

Our country/region pages include information on entry requirements, tuition fees, scholarships, student profiles, upcoming events and contacts for your country/region. Use the dropdown list below for specific information for your country/region.

English Language Requirements

Evidence of an IELTS* score of 6.0, with not less than 5.5 in any component, or an equivalent qualification acceptable to the University is required (*taken within the last 2 years).

International students wishing to apply to Queen's University Belfast (and for whom English is not their first language), must be able to demonstrate their proficiency in English in order to benefit fully from their course of study or research. Non-EEA nationals must also satisfy UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) immigration requirements for English language for visa purposes.

For more information on English Language requirements for EEA and non-EEA nationals see: www.qub.ac.uk/EnglishLanguageReqs.

If you need to improve your English language skills before you enter this degree programme, INTO Queen's University Belfast offers a range of English language courses. These intensive and flexible courses are designed to improve your English ability for admission to this degree.

  • Academic English: an intensive English language and study skills course for successful university study at degree level
  • Pre-sessional English: a short intensive academic English course for students starting a degree programme at Queen's University Belfast and who need to improve their English.

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Careers

Career Prospects

Professional Opportunities

On successful completion, students can apply to the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) for an annotation to their entry in the GPhC’s Register and/or the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland (PSNI) for an annotation to their entry in the PSNI’s Register.

The annotation is a public record that they can practise as an independent prescriber.

Queen's postgraduates reap exceptional benefits. Unique initiatives, such as Degree Plus and Researcher Plus bolster our commitment to employability, while innovative leadership and executive programmes alongside sterling integration with business experts helps our students gain key leadership positions both nationally and internationally.

Graduate Plus/Future Ready Award for extra-curricular skills

In addition to your degree programme, at Queen's you can have the opportunity to gain wider life, academic and employability skills. For example, placements, voluntary work, clubs, societies, sports and lots more. So not only do you graduate with a degree recognised from a world leading university, you'll have practical national and international experience plus a wider exposure to life overall. We call this Graduate Plus/Future Ready Award. It's what makes studying at Queen's University Belfast special.

Tuition Fees

Northern Ireland (NI) 1 £2,465
Republic of Ireland (ROI) 2 £2,465
England, Scotland or Wales (GB) 1 £2,465
EU Other 3 N/A
International N/A

The Prescribing for Pharmacists (PMY-PC-PP)

1EU citizens in the EU Settlement Scheme, with settled status, will be charged the NI or GB tuition fee based on where they are ordinarily resident. Students who are ROI nationals resident in GB will be charged the GB fee.

2 EU students who are ROI nationals resident in ROI are eligible for NI tuition fees.

3 EU Other students (excludes Republic of Ireland nationals living in GB, NI or ROI) are charged tuition fees in line with international fees.

All tuition fees quoted relate to a single year of study unless stated otherwise. Tuition fees will be subject to an annual inflationary increase, unless explicitly stated otherwise.

More information on postgraduate tuition fees.

Additional course costs

Students incur additional travel and accommodation costs associated with the compulsory 5-day residential in Belfast. Information on local budget accommodation will be provided prior to the residential.

All Students

Depending on the programme of study, there may be extra costs which are not covered by tuition fees, which students will need to consider when planning their studies.

Students can borrow books and access online learning resources from any Queen's library. If students wish to purchase recommended texts, rather than borrow them from the University Library, prices per text can range from £30 to £100. Students should also budget between £30 to £75 per year for photocopying, memory sticks and printing charges.

Students undertaking a period of work placement or study abroad, as either a compulsory or optional part of their programme, should be aware that they will have to fund additional travel and living costs.

If a programme includes a major project or dissertation, there may be costs associated with transport, accommodation and/or materials. The amount will depend on the project chosen. There may also be additional costs for printing and binding.

Students may wish to consider purchasing an electronic device; costs will vary depending on the specification of the model chosen.

There are also additional charges for graduation ceremonies, examination resits and library fines.

How do I fund my study?

The Department for the Economy will provide a tuition fee loan of up to £6,500 per NI / EU student for postgraduate study. Tuition fee loan information.

A postgraduate loans system in the UK offers government-backed student loans of up to £11,836 for taught and research Masters courses in all subject areas. Criteria, eligibility, repayment and application information are available on the UK government website.

More information on funding options and financial assistance - please check this link regularly, even after you have submitted an application, as new scholarships may become available to you.

International Scholarships

Information on scholarships for international students, is available at www.qub.ac.uk/Study/international-students/international-scholarships.

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Apply

How to Apply

Apply using our online Postgraduate Applications Portal and follow the step-by-step instructions on how to apply.

Apply now

When to Apply

The deadline for applications is normally 30th June 2021. In the event that any programme receives a high volume of applications, the university reserves the right to close the application portal earlier than 30th June deadline. Notifications to this effect will appear on the Direct Entry Portal (DAP) against the programme application page.

Terms and Conditions

The terms and conditions that apply when you accept an offer of a place at the University on a taught programme of study.
Queen's University Belfast Terms and Conditions.

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