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Non-Medical Prescribing (HEAL489)

This module will facilitate the development of a health care professional's knowledge of drugs and the relative skills necessary to ensure safe and effective prescribing practice.

Module delivery 

Part-time delivery, with the module delivered across two semesters. The module starts in semester one.

Key dates and application information

  • Apply by: 31 July 2024
  • Module start date: to be confirmed.

Who is the module for?

The module is designed for practising, registered healthcare professionals. The module is a standalone option and can be used to support continuous professional development. The module can also be used as credit as part of other programmes.

Module details and indicative content

This module has been designed to enable learners to become dynamic individuals with up-to-date knowledge, skills, and experience to ensure safe and effective prescribing practice, whilst fulfilling the needs of current health and social care provision.

Completion of this module allows practitioners to apply for an annotation to their professional registration to practise as an independent or supplementary prescriber.

You will be taught how to accurately caculate drug doses and demonstrate the safe use of medicines through critical reasoning and the module will enable you to critically evaluate the root causes of common medication errors and critically assess and safely review a patient's diagnosis, treatment and prescribing options.

Additionally, learners will evaluate and work in accordance with local and national policies, processes and systems that impact on prescribing practice. They will develop the skills to critically analyse the multidimensional factors related to safe prescribing within the current health care climate, recognising one's own limitations of their role and that of other healthcare disciplines.

How you are assessed

There are 4 summative assessments:

  • One drug calculations examination
  • A two-part examination paper comprised of multiple-choice questions and short-answer clinical prescribing scenarios
  • A practical assessment consisting of a prescribing consultation
  • A portfolio of prescribing practice including a 3,000-word reflection.