Prescribing for Healthcare Professionals

Teaching, learning and assessment

The theoretical component of the programme is delivered through a range of evidence-based teaching and learning strategies, including lectures, tutorials and seminars.

These are supplemented by role play, ward visits and formative objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs), which support your application of theory to practice and enhance classroom-based learning alongside more traditional didactic approaches.

Inter-professional learning is promoted through the use of student- and lecturer-generated case studies and critical event analyses.

You'll be encouraged to share experiences and case examples arising from supervised practice, facilitating collaborative learning and an enhanced understanding of professional roles within multidisciplinary healthcare settings.

The learning, teaching and assessment strategy is designed to develop you as a reflective practitioner and critical thinker, while promoting your engagement in lifelong learning.

Research-informed teaching and learning approaches recognise the diversity of our students’ professional backgrounds and prior educational experiences. These differences are used constructively to support inclusive learning and to facilitate meaningful inter-professional engagement.

Supervised prescribing practice constitutes a formal and integral component of the programme. The development of prescribing competence is supported throughout by a designated mentor.

The theoretical elements are explicitly aligned with supervised practice experiences, ensuring educational coherence for you, Designated Prescribing Practitioners/Practice Supervisors (DPP/PS), Practice Assessors (PA), employers and, most importantly, patients.

Assessment of the theoretical elements comprises a multiple-choice and short-answer question examination (MCQ) and a summative OSCE.

In addition to formal examinations, you are required to demonstrate your understanding through reflective writing, the development of a professional portfolio, and completion of a competency framework.

The single competency framework for all prescribers, developed by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (2021), underpins prescribing practice development and the assessment of competence for students working with a DPP/PS and PA.

Assessment is undertaken jointly by the DPP/PS, PA and the academic teaching team.

The volume and range of assessment reflect the breadth of the curriculum and the requirement to ensure robust evaluation of fitness for purpose and practice. All elements of assessment must be successfully completed in order to achieve the programme award and qualify as a prescriber.