Completion of the Independent Prescribing and Advanced Clinical Assessment units is designed to provide an enhanced training, commonly termed a “CEPIP” course (Clinically Enhanced Pharmacist Independent Prescribing).

The Advanced Clinical Assessment unit results in the award of 30 academic credits (CATS credits), which can be used to contribute to a range of academic awards including Postgraduate Certificate, Postgraduate Diploma and MSc.

If you complete Independent Prescribing and Advanced Clinical Assessment units, you will gain the award of PG Cert in Prescribing and Therapeutics.

You can take Advanced Clinical Assessment as a standalone CPD unit if you have already completed an accredited Independent Prescribing course.

The key features of the Advanced Clinical Assessment unit are:

• you will gain a range of advanced clinical and physical assessment skills through a series of workshops facilitated by expert trainers
• you will develop your skills through a range of practice-based activities within your clinical area and under the supervision of a clinical supervisor
• you will also be supported to complete 25 hours in practice developing your clinical assessment skills

Dates

This unit has two intakes a year. The next intake will be March 2020

The Advanced Clinical Assessment unit takes place over 6 months and you'll attend a series of mandatory workshops:

• Workshop days 1 & 2: 10 and 11 March 2020
• Workshop day 3: 1 April 2020
• Workshop day 4: 6 May 2020
• Workshop day 5: 3 June 2020
• Workshop day 6: 24 June 2020
• Workshop days 7 & 8 (Assessment): 8 and 9 July 2020

If you are unable to join us for the March course the next intake will be in September 2020. Following that, future intakes will be twice yearly in March and September.

Eligibility

• You have completed an accredited Independent Prescribing course.
• You are embedded within a clinical setting working within a defined speciality.
• You will be required to have a Clinical Supervisor in place to supervise your learning in practice. This could be the person who acted as your Designated Medical Practitioner during the Independent Prescribing course.
• You have the support of your workplace to complete this unit.

Fees

The fee for the 2019/20 academic year for the Advanced Clinical Assessment unit is £1400.

Go to our fees pages for more information on fees and how to pay them.

Funding

Health Education England (HEE) has announced that there is funding available to support the development of the clinical assessment skills of independent prescribing pharmacists working in Thames Valley, Wessex or South West. HEE are able to provide £2,000 to contribute towards the course costs (at a range of universities) to undertake a university-based clinical assessment skills module and clinical supervision costs.

Applications for funding need to be sent to pharmacy.south@hee.nhs.uk by Wednesday 26 February 2020. As the time scales do not fit with our unit starting in March 2020, please email Joanne Clarke at j.h.clarke@bath.ac.uk as soon as possible if you are applying for funding through this route and would like to start in March 2020. We can discuss with HEE to see if we can secure some funding for this intake.

• Apply to Bath starting 9 March 2020. Induction is on 10 March 2020.

The application deadline is 21 February 2020.

Download the guidance notes and forms.

Please complete each form individually and upload through application tracker. Emailed forms will not be accepted.

Application process

We will review all applications and contact applicants with information about interviews, which may be face to face or via telephone.

After interviews, you will be notified of the decision of the University as soon as possible before the start of the course.

Please note that all elements of the application must be submitted on time for you to be considered for a place on the course. If the demand for places is greater than the number of places available then the admissions panel will review applications following agreed selection criteria.

Values Based Recruitment

If you are working in or plan to work in the NHS, we follow the NHS Values Based Recruitment Guidance. We strongly believe in the NHS values and will be looking for them in our applicants.

All applicants will be assessed on individual merit, as well as their understanding and practice of NHS values in pharmacy. This assessment may take a variety of forms, including an interview. We strongly encourage all applicants to read the NHS Constitution before attending the interview.

Future dates

Please email ap3t@bath.ac.uk to register your interest for future intakes and we will let you know when applications open.