Postgraduate study in Prescribing

You can study prescribing in a Postgraduate Certificate in Clinical Pharmacy in Prescribing.

The areas of study are:

• Consultation, patient assessment and decision-making skills
• Influences on prescribing
• Medicines adherence
• Safe and effective prescribing
• Prescribing in a collaborative healthcare team context
• Legal and ethical aspects of prescribing
• Clinical governance
• Prescribing in the public health context
• Prescribing in the context of the New Zealand Healthcare System

The aim of the pharmacist Prescribing qualification is to build on the clinical capabilities gained in the Postgraduate Diploma in Clinical Pharmacy, and equip pharmacists with the knowledge, skills and attributes to competently prescribe medicines within a collaborative healthcare team environment.

Postgraduate Certificate in Clinical Pharmacy in Prescribing

Entry to the Postgraduate Certificate in Clinical Pharmacy in Prescribing is limited.

Additional entry requirements as stipulated by the Pharmacy Council of New Zealand

Students must be registered with the Pharmacy Council of New Zealand (and hold a current Annual Practicing Certificate) and have completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Clinical Pharmacy (or an equivalent qualification) to be eligible for entry.

Additional entry requirements as stipulated by the Pharmacy Council of New Zealand and the University:

1. Entrants must hold registration in the Pharmacist scope of practice and hold a current Annual Practising Certificate (APC) issued by PCNZ.
2. Entrants must have at least two (2) years of recent, appropriate and relevant post-registration experience within a collaborative health team environment, in a community or hospital care-based setting.
3. Entrants must be able to demonstrate that competence standards 1, 2, 4 and 5 of the Pharmacist scope of practice are applicable and part of their current practice.
4. Entrants must have identified an area of clinical practice in which to develop their prescribing skills and have up-to-date clinical, pharmacological and pharmaceutical knowledge relevant to their intended area of prescribing practice.
5. Entrants should demonstrate how they reflect on their own performance and take responsibility for their own CPD.
6. Entrants must have completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Clinical Pharmacy or equivalent qualification.
7. Entrants must have identified potential Designated Medical Practitioners (DMPs) to provide supervision, support and shadowing opportunities for the pharmacist to the education provider.
8. Entrants must have discussed and identified their possible role(s) as a prescriber within the collaborative health team environment they intend to practise in prior to commencing the practicum.
9. Entrants must obtain their manager’s approval to undertake the programme to ensure they will be allocated work time to complete the Practicum.

All of the requirements must be fulfilled and it is particularly important that a defined area of prescribing practice is identified and agreed with the collaborative team and DMP, and approved by the universities before commencing the programme.

The role pharmacists can play in patient care is rapidly expanding and New Zealand is at the forefront of this. Legislation has now been passed that allows pharmacists to prescribe, and the numbers of New Zealand pharmacists registered to prescribe is steadily growing.

This innovation is in line with the Government’s commitment to support health practitioners to work to their full capacity and provide better, timely, more convenient access to services for patients.

Jobs related to Prescribing

• Clinical pharmacist
• Pharmacist prescriber

Further study options

• Doctor of Philosophy