Entry requirements
To be considered for enrolment on this module you will need the following:
- be registered as a pharmacist with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) or, in Northern Ireland, with the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland (PSNI)
- be in good standing with the GPhC and/or PSNI and any other healthcare regulator with which you are registered
- have appropriate patient-oriented experience post-registration, in a relevant UK practice setting relevant to the suggested scope of practice
- have an identified area of clinical or therapeutic practice in which to develop independent prescribing practice. You must also have relevant clinical or therapeutic experience in that area, which is suitable to act as the foundation of their prescribing practice while training
- have a designated prescribing practitioner (DPP) who has agreed to supervise your learning in practice.
You will need to have written confirmation from:
- your employer/sponsor or supporting organisation stating their support for you to undertake the module at the °®¶¹´«Ã½
- a designated prescribing practitioner who meets eligibility criteria as set out by the RPS 2019 Competency Framework for Designated Prescribing Practitioners and has agreed to provide the required term of supervised practice.
In addition to the entry requirements, you will need to:
- show reflection on your own performance and take responsibility for your own CPD
- NOT have previously been enrolled on a course at another institution leading to a Practice Certificate in Independent Prescribing
- commit to 26 days of learning over six months (including guided, face-to-face, and independent study), and 12 days of time in practice
- be able to attend all face-to-face study days in 2025:
- Friday 14 March
- Friday 28 March
- Friday 11 April
- Friday 25 April
- Friday 9 May
- Friday 23 May (optional)
- Friday 29 August - assessment day
Please see the How to apply tab for more information and a link to the application form.
Further information on the requirements of a Designated Prescribing Practitioner is available on the .
How to apply
Application to this course is through the form in the link provided.
Start date
March 2025
Download the form and read through the process section on page 2. This will guide you through your application.
If you are self-funding, or have secured funding from your employer, please complete the application in full — Sections A, B and C. If you require NHSE funding complete Sections A and B and highlight in Section C that you are seeking NHSE funding. We will need confirmation of funding routes (by completing Section C of the application) before you are accepted on to the programme.
Note: Hand-written applications will not be accepted.
Deadline – The application deadline for March 2025 start date is 31 January 2025. We cannot accept applications received after this date. Decisions on applications will be notified by the end of February.
Make sure that you fill in, or provide, all of the required information. Failure to do so means that your form will be returned to you and you may miss the application deadline.
(Word doc)
Please notify your Designated Pharmaceutical Practicioner (DPP) that they should expect a call between 1-14 February to discuss their role.
DPP support
Designated Prescribing Practitioner (DPP) support
You'll be required to find an appropriate DPP for the duration of the programme. The university is not able to support with finding a suitable DPP, however there are a number of private services available to you, such as the DPP finding service – .
Group supervision
We know and endorse that group supervision can be a fantastic way to upskill and train prescribing trainees. However, DPP's are also responsible for making 1:1 training an option for trainees, as some trainees may not work and learn well in a group environment. This is the student's decision and not the DPPs.
DPP resources
There are also training packages available for DPPs who might be new to supervising trainee prescribers.