Postgraduate Taught

In the fast-changing world of therapeutics, prescribing and health care provision, prescribers, or those providing prescribing advice, may feel under-equipped to meet Department of Health demands and the challenges that have emerged from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), National Service Frameworks (NSFs), Clinical Governance frameworks, and the Crown Report. The final Crown Report proposed a new framework for the prescribing, supply and administration of medicines in which new groups of professionals such as nurses and pharmacists, will be able to prescribe medicines. The Government’s programme for Pharmacy, Pharmacy in England: Building on strengths – delivering the future along with the new Pharmacy Contract, have paved the way for pharmacists to broaden their role and contribution within primary health care.

Choice and flexibility are key features of the Prescribing Studies programme. Healthcare professionals may choose different pathways to reach the awards of Certificate, Diploma and Masters to meet their own specific professional development needs and to advance their professional practice e.g. by undertaking the Independent Prescribing Preparatory Course for Pharmacists. Flexibility is also provided by our CPD Plus+ and CPD Plus+ Open Learn modules which are available as 10, 15 and 30 credit modules.

If you need any further information, please visit our website or contact the Programme Administrator.

The overall aim of the Prescribing Studies programme is to offer the opportunity for prescribers (medical and non-medical) and those providing prescribing advice to enhance their knowledge base, skills and understanding of practical therapeutics and prescribing within the context of the larger health care team. Learning outcomes for individual courses are specified separately. The overall programme aims to enable participants to achieve the following learning outcomes:

• Describe and appraise the practical considerations that are relevant to the prescriber in primary care
• Apply clinical and behavioural knowledge and skills to the prescribing process
• Describe the principles underlying rational prescribing
• Apply the principles underlying rational prescribing to specific patient groups
• Describe the therapy of common medical conditions
• Apply evidence-based prescribing to the treatment of common medical conditions

In addition, you will develop valuable practical skills including written and oral communication, and the ability to design audit projects, collect, analyse and interpret data. The programme will also encourage you to develop the self-discipline of private study, self-directed learning and critical reflection through the use of a reflective portfolio that you can continue beyond your formal study period with Keele in your own Continuing Professional Development.

Criteria for admission to the course will be as required by University regulations.
All the Prescribing Studies courses are open to:

• Medical and non-medical prescribers in primary care
• Pharmacists who are members of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain and who regularly work in primary care providing prescribing advice
• Other health care professionals with an interest in therapeutics and prescribing degree may be admitted on their perceived and potential competence to complete the course

All applicants must be working in a British health care environment.
Why choose a Prescribing Studies Course?
Medicines Management, part of the School of Pharmacy at Keele University, has a reputation for providing stimulating education programmes for general practitioners, pharmacists, nurses and other members of the health care team.
We offer a multidisciplinary approach that ensures our courses encompass a broad range of skills and are responsive to the changing health care environment.
We are closely in touch, through our advisors, with NHS development and service needs in primary care.

We are recognised nationally as a centre of excellence in the areas of prescribing and audit. For example, Medicines Management is the nerve centre for the Midlands Therapeutics Review and Advisory Committee (MTRAC) which provides regular advice to GPs on new drugs, and we provide an analytical and advisory service to PCTs on prescribing. The distance learning format of the courses enables busy health professionals to study where and when it is most convenient to them.

The Prescribing Studies programme can be completed via the following flexible pathways to accumulate academic credits at Masters Level with fixed content and learning outcomes:

• CPD Plus+ – register for individual short courses of 5 credits. You can register on a number of occasions in any academic year. Completing 12 CPD Plus+ courses will provide the postgraduate certificate award
• CPD Plus+ Open Learn – provides opportunity to negotiate some or all of the content and learning outcomes to meet your specific needs (available as 10, 15 and 30-credit modules)
• Certificate in Prescribing Studies – register for a full academic year for the postgraduate certificate award (60 credits)
• Diploma in Prescribing Studies – register for 2 academic years for the postgraduate diploma award (120 credits)
• Qualifying Course for Independent Prescribers – this provides the professional qualification necessary to prescribe, and 45 academic credits towards the Certificate/ Diploma courses. Please contact the Course Administrator for the specific application pack for this course
• Professional MSc – Building on the Diploma course students study a further three modules: Research Methods (15 credits), Advanced Practice Development

(15 credits) and Independent Learning Project (30 credits)

Depending on the course of study, students will participate with tutors in collaborative learning workshops during Study Days at Keele and/ or online in our virtual learning environment – WEBCT.

The CPD Plus+ short courses that are currently available, and which also form the course content for Certificate and Diploma courses, are:

Theme: Principles underlying rational prescribing

• Clinical Pharmacology/ Biochemistry
• Treating Individuals
• Hazards of Drug Use
• Monitoring Drug Treatment
• Rational Prescribing
• Licensing and Drug Development Theme: Practical considerations for prescribers
• Evidence-Based Practice and Clinical Governance
• Communication and Consultation Skills
• Ethical Issues in Prescribing
• Patient-Prescriber Partnerships in Medicine Taking
• PACT in Practice
• Practice Research

Theme: Prescribing in the treatment of common medical conditions

• Angina
• Asthma/COPD
• Diabetes
• Depression
• Dyspepsia
• Heart Failure
• Hypertension
• Infections
• Joint Diseases
• Osteoporosis
• Palliative Care
• Women’s Health
• A unit for those interested in Substance Misuse is also available

Assessment for the Certificate/ Diploma and MSc is entirely by coursework.

The assessment methods used aim to encourage you to take an active part in your own education and to apply your knowledge to practical situations in the workplace.

The completion of a Reflective Portfolio is common to all courses.