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Independent Prescribing for Pharmacists

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Start Dates

20 September 2027, 10 January 2028

Duration

12 months part-time

About this course

Overview

Why choose Huddersfield for this course?

  • Strengthen your reflective practice and learn to communicate effectively to deliver person-centred care.
  • Develop clinical skills such as history taking, effective consultation, and basic physical assessment.
  • Discover the legal and ethical frameworks for independant prescribing, and learn the roles, responsibilities and scope of practice.

Accreditation and Professional Links

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

This short course equips practising pharmacists with the skills and confidence to prescribe safely and effectively. Designed for experienced professionals with up-to-date clinical knowledge, it supports those working in primary (community and PCN), intermediate or secondary care who are ready to advance into a defined prescribing area.

Delivered through a flexible blended-learning model, the course follows the GPhC learning outcomes and combines 12 academic study days with dedicated time for learning in practice. Study days (Tuesdays) include at least two on-campus sessions focused on clinical skills and portfolio development, supported by an online programme of live remote activities and self-directed study. Early submission points are available at 6 and 9 months.

Full learning outcomes can be found in the GPhC 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

£2,241

This is the tuition fee for 2026/27 entry. Tuition fees for 2027/28 will be published once the information becomes available.

This information is for Home 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. 

For detailed information please visit https://www.hud.ac.uk/study/fees/

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.

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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.

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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
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