Becoming A Non-Medical Prescriber

Sophie guides us through the process of becoming a Non-Medical Prescriber, from advice on managing your time and setting boundaries to choosing a qualification provider and getting to the interview stage.

Hi, guys. I wanted to talk to you today about how to become a Non-Medical Prescriber (NMP). If you're thinking about it, hopefully this video will help you.

I've been Non-Medical Prescriber for two years now, and when I started it, it was during COVID. A lot of it was on Teams, so I did find it a little bit difficult because we weren't able to access everything, but now things are better and different, and you can go into universities or keep learning from home, so that's helpful.

Support, Time Management & Service Area Needs

The main thing is having support from your manager, friends, and family, and having the time that you need to study.

So, it's not just the time, the one day a week that you get allocated. You need to be studying outside of that time, and it does take up quite a lot of your time, so you do need to bear that in mind.

Another thing to bear in mind is whether there is a need in your service area, and obviously this will be discussed with your manager.

But for me, for example, I did my qualification when I was working in a prison setting and there was a need for a Non-Medical Prescriber. Although we did have a doctor on site and one other Non-Medical Prescriber, I was having my own triage clinics, seeing all different types of patients in the prison.

It improved patient care once I got my prescribing qualification because I was able to triage the patient, assess them and diagnose, and then treat them with medication, so it also improved the patient to nurse contact and the professional bond.

Set Boundaries And Find Your Area Of Expertise

A challenge in the prison with non-medical prescribing is medications such as controlled drugs like Pregabalin and Gabapentin. So once the prisoners heard about me becoming a prescriber, they were under the impression that I could prescribe all of these medications and they could, perhaps, manipulate me into prescribing these for them because I was easier than the doctor.

However, it's about setting boundaries and being assertive, and letting them know that that is not an option for them.

It's also a good idea to have your set area of non-medical prescribing expertise, and obviously that depends on the area that you work in. For me, it was antibiotics, analgesia, sexual health medication and substance misuse medication.

But obviously that depends on your area, but it's best for a Non-Medical Prescriber to prescribe just for their area, not wide field like GPs do for example.

Getting Your Qualification

Another thing to bear in mind is that you need to be at that stage to be able to go on and do the further qualification to be a Non-Medical Prescriber. It is at a degree or Master's level (Level 7).

It is challenging, but once you've understood what the university's asking from you and how they'd like you to write and the certain academic language that you need to write in, it becomes easier.

If you've been out of academic study for a long time, that can be challenging, but they do have great academic mentors that can help you at any stage if you're struggling with anything, and good resources within the library.

It improved patient care once I got my prescribing qualification because I was able to triage the patient, assess them and diagnose, and then treat them with medication, so it also improved the patient to nurse contact and the professional bond.

Self-Funding Or Workplace Secondment?

So, one of the steps for becoming a Non-Medical Prescriber is to think about whether you would like to self-fund or whether you're going to seconded by the workplace. There are benefits and disadvantages to both, but it's completely up to you.

If you are seconded by your workplace, then you do need to stay there for a year, and they will ask you to sign a contract. You need to make sure that you have been an NMC first level Registered Nurse for at least three years.

Some universities will allow you to have only been qualified just over a year, but it obviously depends on the university and their entry requirements.

Interviewing For A NMP Role

Once you've spoken to your manager about your interest in the non-medical prescribing course and you've decided whether you're going to self-fund or be seconded by your workplace, the NMP lead then sends a form to you and your manager, which you both fill out.

Once that's sent back to the NMP lead, a panel will interview you. Mine was via Teams because it was during COVID, and they will ask you questions about whether there's support in the workplace, whether you already have Non-Medical Prescribers where you work, if there are people you feel comfortable being your mentor, and whether there's time in the workplace to facilitate training a Non-Medical Prescriber.

They also asked me what I would bring to the service if I became a Non-Medical Prescriber, and how it improves patient care, the team and the service.

Once you've had your interview, they'll let you know if you are successful or not, and then you'll hear via email.

If you're successful, they'll send you information out about the course, the start date, any other requirements that they need. They normally need paperwork to confirm you're a UK resident.

Also, you'll need to do a maths test, which is often a nursing drug calculation test. I had to get a hundred percent.

Again, it depends on the university and their entry requirements. My university was linked with my workplace, but it completely depends. If you do self-fund, then you can choose a university, but generally, if the workplace is seconding you, then it's the one that's linked with the workplace.

I hope that's been helpful for you if you are thinking of becoming Non-Medical Prescriber.

Let me know in the comments below.

Thank you.