Pharmacist Independent Prescribing

The skills and knowledge you will gain will enable you to make a difference to patients’ lives and play an important role in the future of pharmacist independent prescribing.

Teaching covers all the learning outcomes required by the General Pharmaceutical Council and overs medicines management, consultation skills, prescribing in context and clinical skills. The course is delivered at Master’s Level (SCQF Level 11).

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Learning Methods

The course consists of three elements: online self-directed learning, five mandatory online contact days, and a period of learning in practice under the supervision of a designated prescribing practitioner.

Delivered entirely online via our virtual learning environment Moodle and Microsoft Teams we use a blended approach to teaching, learning and assessment to support the development of knowledge, skills, and personal attributes necessary to become an independent pharmacist prescriber.

The five online contact days are designed to support your learning with highly interactive workshops and presentations and focus on communication skills, evidence based practice, clinical reasoning and other aspects of prescribing.

The module is in mandatory part of the diploma stage of our PgDip | MSc Advanced Pharmacy Practice course.

Activity Summary

• Practical class or workshop - 80-100 students per group, 35-40 hours over the duration of the module.
• Independent study - 175 hours over the duration of the module.
• Placement/work based learning - 90 hours over the duration of the module

How long is a Pharmacist Independent Prescribing course?

The Pharmacist Independent Prescribing course can be completed in 10 months.

Independent Study

The course consists of self-directed learning and several formative assignments to support your development along with a minimum of 90 hours of supervised practice in a clinical setting. The number of hours of studying required per week is variable and depends on your workload and other commitments. 

Staff Delivering on This Course

Our staff include pharmacist academics and practising clinical subject experts (e-tutors) and independent prescribers (PIP-tutors). We are also supported by external experts. Our staff develop learning materials, facilitate discussion forums, and participate in assessments and marking.

Assessment

Typically students are assessed:

• 1 portfolio of evidence from the period of learning practice

Feedback

We aim to provide you with feedback within 20 working days of hand-in for all written exams, coursework and practical exams.

Placements

You will undertake a period of learning in practice under the supervision of a Designated Prescribing Practitioner (DPP). The period of learning in practice provides the opportunity to develop competency in prescribing and clinical skills while focusing on the patient group for which it is expected you will prescribe for. This period of learning in practice must be the equivalent to a minimum of 90 hours of supervised practice. You will need to arrange your own Designated Prescribing Practitioner (DPP) and provide their details as part of the application process.

Job Prospects

As a Pharmacist Prescriber you can make a great contribution to healthcare provision in primary and secondary care, in community pharmacy, and in other settings throughout the UK. The role is professionally challenging and very rewarding. You will work as part of a multi-disciplinary team, involved in prescribing decisions and governance and optimising outcomes by the provision of person-centred pharmaceutical care.

Entry Requirements

What is needed for Practice Certificate Pharmacist Independent Prescribing?

All candidates must meet the requirements:

• Registered as a pharmacist with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) or, in Northern Ireland, with the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland (PSNI).
• Are in good standing with the GPhC and/or PSNI and any other healthcare regulator with which they are registered.
• Have relevant experience in a UK pharmacy setting and be able to recognise, understand and articulate the skills and attributes required by a prescriber to act as the foundation of their prescribing practice whilst training.
• Have identified an area of clinical or therapeutic practice on which to base their learning. 
• Have a designated prescribing practitioner (DPP) who has agreed to supervise their learning in practice. 

The Designated Prescribing Practitioner

As part of the course, the pharmacist’s period of learning in practice must be supervised by a Designated Prescribing Practitioner who may be a medical or a non-medical independent prescriber.

The Designated Prescribing Practitioner must meet and be able to demonstrate the requirements:

• A registered healthcare professional in Great Britain or Northern Ireland with legal independent prescribing rights, 
• Are in good standing with their profession’s regulator and work in line with legal, regulatory, professional and organisational standards in a patient facing role.
• Are an active prescriber with competence applicable to the area in which they will be supervising.
• Have appropriate patient facing clinical and diagnostic skill.
• Have appropriate knowledge and experience relevant to the trainee’s area of practice.
• Have experience of supporting or supervising healthcare professionals.
• Have the ability to assess patient-facing clinical and diagnostic skills.
• Have reviewed the Competency Framework for all Prescribers and can confirm that they meet all the competencies. 

Our Application Process

The entry requirements of the course require you to have relevant experience in a UK pharmacy setting and be able to recognise, understand and articulate the skills and attributes required by a prescriber to act as the foundation of your prescribing practice whilst training. There is not a specific length of time that will determine this, it is the overall breadth and range of relevant experience that is important.

You will be asked to provide information about, and reflect on, your experience, education and training and to provide information about your proposed prescribing service.

This Pharmacist Independent Prescribing course has the following tuition fees:

For Academic Year 2025/2026

• All students: £2,600

For Academic Year 2024/2025

• All students: £2,360 for entire course

Pharmacists working in Scotland may be eligible for funding from