This course, which is suitable for all clinical specialties, has been designed to expand your existing knowledge and develop prescribing skills to support effective clinical care of patients in a patient-facing prescribing role.

Throughout the programme, it is our aim to enable you to:

• Develop the knowledge, skills and clinical confidence to prepare you as a pharmacist to become a safe independent prescriber, working effectively within a health care team.
• Recognise, take-responsibility for and demonstrate person-centred care.
• Recognise, understand, apply and reflect upon professionalism as a prescriber.
• Apply, manage and utilise professional knowledge and skills commensurate with being an independent prescriber.
• Work collaboratively with patients and other health care workers, recognise your own role and the role of others, and demonstrate appropriate clinical skills.
• Understand the role and responsibilities of an independent prescriber.
• Prescribe safely, appropriately and cost effectively.
• Use diagnostic aids relevant to the conditions for which you as a pharmacist intend to prescribe, including monitoring response to therapy.
• Develop effective communication skills and relationships with patients, carers, other prescribers and members of the healthcare team.
• Describe the pathophysiology of the condition being treated, and recognise the signs and symptoms of illness.
• Take an accurate medical history and carry out relevant clinical assessments.
• Utilise knowledge and skills in a critical and systematic manner.

 Upon successful completion of the course, you will be able to:

• Identify and evaluate presenting complaints of patients.
• Respond to varied clinical situations, multiple pathologies or complex medical needs, guided by consultation and diagnostic methods designed to establish reliable identification of clinical presentations and therapeutic options.

This is a clinical course involving health assessment of patients, therefore, you must be prepared to physically examine patients, models and fellow students.