...

Student working with beakers in lab

Independent Prescribing for Pharmacists

Select the year

Start Dates

21 September 2026, 11 January 2027

Duration

12 months part-time

About this course

Overview

Why choose Huddersfield for this course?

  • Understand the legal, ethical, and professional responsibilities that guide prescribing practice.
  • Build strong communication and reflective skills to support patient-centred care and self-management.
  • Learn the key principles of safe, effective, and ethical prescribing within your professional scope.

Accreditation and Professional Links

Recognised connections to give you an extra edge when you graduate. Read More

This short course provides pharmacists with the necessary skills and knowledge to practise safely and effectively as a prescriber. The course is aimed at an experienced pharmacist with up to date clinical knowledge and a defined area of practice in which you wish to prescribe. The course is suitable for pharmacists working in primary (community and PCN), intermediate and secondary care within the UK.

The course is delivered as a blended learning programme to deliver a syllabus that aligns with learning outcomes as defined by the General Pharmaceutical Council, through 12 blended learning academic study days, plus further time to focus on learning in practice. The 12 academic study days (Tuesdays) include at least 2 face-to-face study days with a focus on clinical skills and developing a portfolio of practice, supported by an online study programme that includes a combination of scheduled remote activities and learning the student can complete independently. Early submission points are available at 6 and 9 months.

The full learning outcomes are available at Standards for the education and training of pharmacist independent prescribers.

Who can apply?

Entry Requirements

These are determined by professional requirements as defined by the General Pharmaceutical Council. The course is offered part-time to pharmacists registered as a pharmacist with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) or, in Northern Ireland, with the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland (PSNI).

Students must be UK registered pharmacists and be in good standing with the GPhC and /or PSNI and any other healthcare regulator with which they are registered.

They must have relevant experience in a UK pharmacy setting and be able to recognise, understand and articulate the skills and attributes required by a prescriber.

They must have identified an area of clinical practice in which to develop their prescribing practice, and have an up-to-date experience and clinical, knowledge relevant to their intended area of practice.

All students must have a Designated Prescribing Practitioner who has agreed to supervise their learning in practice. The DPP must be UK registered independent prescriber with suitable experience and capacity to support learning in practice. The full details of appropriate people to undertake this role is available at DPP competency framework | RPS (rpharms.com). In addition to the RPS requirement, the DPP must be able to act as an impartial assessor and therefore should not be a family member or similar.

If your first language is not English, you will need to meet the minimum requirements of an English Language qualification. The minimum for IELTS is 6.0 overall with no element lower than 5.5, or equivalent will be considered acceptable. Read more about the University’s entry requirements for students outside of the UK on our International Entry Requirements page.

What will you learn?

Course Details

This module provides pharmacists with the necessary skills and knowledge to meet the learning outcomes and to practice safely and effectively as an independent prescriber. Successful completion of the module will provide the student with a practice certificate in independent prescribing.

Teaching and Assessment

Discover what to expect from your tutor contact time, assessment methods, and feedback process.

Interested in a placement?

Placements

You will spend a total of 90 hours in supervised practice, which will be facilitated by your Designated Prescriber Practitioner.

How much will it cost?

Fees and Finance

£859 per 15 credits

This information is for Home and International students applying to study at the University of Huddersfield in the academic year 2026/27.

Modules credits can range from 15 to 60, dependent on the content of the module. Read more about total credits required for a range of degrees, to allow you to calculate the potential total cost.

Please note that tuition fees for subsequent years may rise in line with inflation (RPI-X) and/or Government policy and/or to ensure our distance learning fees are competitive.

Tuition fees will cover the cost of your study at the University. Read more about what is and is not covered by Tuition Fees including compliance for Goods and Services Tax for International Students studying an online course. 

For detailed information please visit www.hud.ac.uk/distance-learning/fees-and-finance/

This information is for Home and International students applying to study at the University of Huddersfield in the academic year 2026/27.

Modules credits can range from 15 to 60, dependent on the content of the module. Read more about total credits required for a range of degrees, to allow you to calculate the potential total cost.

Please note that tuition fees for subsequent years may rise in line with inflation (RPI-X) and/or Government policy and/or to ensure our distance learning fees are competitive.

Tuition fees will cover the cost of your study at the University. Read more about what is and is not covered by Tuition Fees including compliance for Goods and Services Tax for International Students studying an online course. 

For detailed information please visit www.hud.ac.uk/distance-learning/fees-and-finance/

Scholarships and Bursaries

Discover what additional help you may be eligible for to support your University studies.

Tuition Fee Loans

Find out more about tuition fee loans available to eligible postgraduate students.

What’s included in your fee?

We want you to understand exactly what your fees will cover and what additional costs you may need to budget for when you decide to become a student with us.

If you have any questions about Fees and Finance, please email the Student Finance Team.

Explore More

Why Hud

Explore the unique opportunities and resources that make our institution a top choice for students seeking a well-rounded and future-focused education.

Need more details?

More Info

Careers support

We know you’re coming to university to study on your chosen subject, meet new people and broaden your horizons. However, we also help you to focus on life after you have graduated to ensure that your hard work pays off and you achieve your ambition.

Find out more about careers support

Student support

At the University of Huddersfield, you’ll find support networks and services to help you get ahead in your studies and social life. Whether you study at undergraduate or postgraduate level, you’ll soon discover that you’re never far away from our dedicated staff and resources to help you to navigate through your personal student journey.

See our support services

Teaching Excellence

Great teaching is engaging and inspiring — it helps you reach your full potential and prepares you for the future. We don’t just teach well — we excel — and we have the awards and recognition to prove it.

Find out more

Inspiring Academics

Our researchers carry out world-leading work that makes a real difference to people’s lives. Staff within the Department of Pharmacy may teach you on this course.

Find out more about our staff

Research Excellence

You’ll be taught by staff who want to support your learning and share the latest knowledge and research.

Find out more

Accommodation

Looking for student accommodation? Huddersfield has you covered. HudLets has a variety of accommodation types to choose from, no matter what your preference. HudLets is the University’s approved accommodation service, run by Huddersfield Students’ Union.

Take a look at your options

Further Study

Many of our graduates stay at Huddersfield to complete postgraduate research degrees at Masters or PhD level.

Discover research degrees
Ask us a question