)
Chemistry, Pharmacology and Drug Discovery at UEA
Find out more about studying Chemistry, Pharmacology and Drug Discovery at UEA, and browse our other courses.
Find out morecredpg INDEPENDENT PRESCRIBING FOR PHARMACISTS (CREDIT ONLY UEA) (Part Time)
Key Details
- Attendance
- Part Time
- Award
- Postgraduate Credit (non-award bearing)
- Course Length
- 6 months
- Course Start Date
- March 2026
Other Start Dates
Chat to us on Unibuddy
Any questions? Chat online with current students, staff and experts. This is your chance to ask anything about UEA, university life, Norwich and more.
Other Start Dates
Scroll For More
Why you should choose us
Course Overview
This course enables you to demonstrate that you have met the required outcomes of a pharmacist independent prescriber, as set by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC). You will achieve this by attending our online and in-person study days, completing eLearning, and undertaking workplace activities mutually agreed with the course team and your designated prescribing practitioner (DPP).
Places on this course are limited to a maximum of 40 students per cohort (20 students per location).
This course may become full before the application deadline. Applicants will then be offered an alternative study location or be offered a place on the next available course. Please contact the admissions team on pgt.admissions@uea.ac.uk if you have admissions queries, or the course team on pha.prescribing@uea.ac.uk if you have any course related questions.
Tailored to the requirements of clinically experienced pharmacists, our Independent Prescribing course will help you to become a competent prescriber.
Our multidisciplinary teaching team is comprised of practising clinical and prescribing pharmacists and advanced clinical practitioners. The six-month, part-time course includes 90 hours in clinical practice under the supervision of a designated prescribing practitioner (DPP). You’ll also benefit from 8 study days with associated pre-study day activities, which you can adapt to your own needs. Working with a DPP, you’ll get to grips with the required skills in examination and diagnostics for you to perform in a prescribing role, and to pursue competency in these areas. The course also covers advanced consultation skills, clinical decision-making, law and ethics, and public health.
Students are provided with a wide range of supportive materials to enable learning. Students can expect a comprehensive course handbook, an online discussion board and a regularly updated FAQs page to capture all queries around any elements of the course from current students. Drop-in sessions are also planned on a regular basis to support any students who need more personalised support with their progress on the course.
)
Accreditations
This course is accredited by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) in order to progress to pharmacist pre-registration training and then to register as a pharmacist.
Study and Modules
Structure
This is a six-month, part-time course, with two intakes per year: one in March & October. Each intake group completes the same core module in its six-month study period, worth a total of 40 credits.
Working with a designated prescribing practitioner (DPP) you will identify the key skills in examination and diagnostics required for you to perform in a prescribing role, and to pursue competency in these areas.
A mixture of online and face-to-face taught sessions in the module will cover advanced consultation skills, clinical decision-making, physical examination and assessment skills, law and ethics, and public health. This means that we can accommodate a diverse range of clinical specialities.
You will benefit from multiple teaching methods to aid your learning, including 90 hours in clinical practice under the supervision of your DPP and 8 compulsory study days, spread throughout the course. There are a further 2 compulsory study days at the end of the course where your assessment takes place.
The study days consist of interactive sessions with small groups hosted by an expert-facilitator. Whilst the majority of these are online, there are two face-to-face study days which support you with physical assessment and examination skills.
Prior to each study day, you’ll need to complete some preparatory work which will provide you with the required knowledge and direct work-based skill development activities to support the learning outcomes for the study day in question. The study day facilitator may also set you a brief readiness test before you attend, so that they’re able to tailor their interactions with you on the day, and you get the most out of it.
Please see the March 2026 Timetable for further information.
Compulsory Modules
Important Information
Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring, review and update of modules. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes and their constituent modules, the University will endeavour to consult with students and others. It is also possible that the University may not be able to offer a module for reasons outside of its control, such as the illness of a member of staff. In some cases optional modules can have limited places available and so you may be asked to make additional module choices in the event you do not gain a place on your first choice. Where this is the case, the University will inform students.
Teaching and Learning
Our multidisciplinary teaching team includes practising clinical and prescribing pharmacists and advanced clinical practitioners.
The course features 90 hours in clinical practice under the supervision of your designated prescribing practitioner (DPP) and 8 small group study days with associated pre-study day activities, all of which are compulsory. There are a further two assessment days at the end of the course.
Pharmacists are encouraged to share their experiences during the study days and support one another with their training and personal development. Study days are interactive and encourage peer discussions, as well as some smaller scale group work.
You will need to complete a study pack prior to attending each study day. This will allow the study day facilitator to assess your existing knowledge and tailor your learning on the day.
Assessment
You will be assessed primarily via a portfolio, as well as completing a simulated patient consultation and a case-based discussion (a conversation with assessors around a case you have encountered during your 90 hours of practice-based learning
To complete the course successfully, you'll also need to demonstrate:
- Attendance of all study days
- Completion of eLearning
- Completion of practice activities and assignments within the workplace
- Personal development planning and related evidence collection
- Confirmation of your competency in your prescribing area by your DPP
Employability
After the Course
On successful completion of the course, you’ll be eligible for the annotation of ‘Independent Prescriber’ on the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) Register of Pharmacists.
Previous pharmacists completing the course have gone on to become independent prescribers in various clinical settings including, tertiary and secondary care, GP practice based and community pharmacy. Other students have continued to progress their professional development after this course by completing further education in advanced professional or clinical practice.
Careers
Independent prescribing in various clinical settings including, tertiary and secondary care, GP practice based and community pharmacy.
Entry Requirements
- This course is open to
UK fee-paying students. The entry points are in March and October each year.
- Typical UK Entry Requirements
Degree classification
Bachelors degree - Any
Degree Subject
Pharmacy (MPharm or equivalent)
- Additional Entry Requirements
- Applicants must provide evidence of registration with either the GPhC or the PSNI
-
You must have a named designated prescribing practitioner (DPP) willing to supervise your training
- You must have arranged a suitable clinical training base in which to undertake the 90 hours of supervised practice under the guidance of your DPP
- You must have identified a scope of practice in which to train that is achievable within the duration of the course, aligned to the practice of your DPP and takes into account your current level of knowledge and skill and the subsequent learning needed to achieve independent prescriber status
-
Prescribers eligible to be a DPP must:
-
Be an experienced prescriber in current, regular prescribing practice in a patient facing role, normally with a minimum of 3 years prescribing experience, with appropriate knowledge and experience relevant to the trainee’s proposed scope of practice.
-
Have up-to-date and active patient facing, clinical and diagnostic skills relevant to the scope of practice in which the pharmacist intends to train to prescribe
-
Have experience or training in teaching and /or supervision in practice
-
The support of their employer (if relevant) to undertake the role of a DPP
-
Meet the requirements of the DPP role in terms of responsibilities as outlined in A Competency Framework for Designated Prescribing Practitioners (RPS, 2019) DPP competency framework Dec 2019.pdf (rpharms.com) and Standards for the Education and Training of Pharmacist Independent Prescribers (GPhC, 2022). Standards for the education and training of pharmacist independent prescribers (pharmacyregulation.org)
-
The university is required by the GPhC to ensure that DPP arrangements are robust. Where there is concern, the course team may contact the DPP and/or their employer to clarify arrangements.
- Admissions Policy
Our Admissions Policy applies to the admissions of all postgraduate applicants.
- Admissions Policy
Our Admissions Policy applies to the admissions of all postgraduate applicants.
)
Fees and Funding
Tuition fees for the academic year 2023/24 are £2,322.
We estimate living expenses at £1,136 per month.
Further Information on tuition fees can be found here.
Course Related Costs
Please see Additional Course Fees for details of course-related costs.
How to Apply
Applications for Postgraduate Taught programmes at the University of East Anglia should be made directly to the University.
To apply please use our online application form.
The majority of study will be delivered online, with some face-to-face teaching to be delivered at either Norwich or Harlow or nearby venues. Please see the March 2026 Timetable.
Please be aware that the timetable is intended as a guide for contact days and module content. There may be slight adjustments to the actual timetable for the course. Successful applicants will receive an up-to-date timetable from the course team before commencing the course.
Places on this course are limited to a maximum of 60 students per cohort (30 students per location) so early applications are encouraged.
However, please note that your application is only accepted once you have been made an offer on the course. Offers will be made to the first 60 complete applications which have been reviewed and accepted by the Course Director.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION:
The March 2026 intake will be the final cohort of the Pharmacist Independent Prescribing Training delivered by the School of Chemistry, Pharmacy and Pharmacology. After this date, the programme will be managed by the School of Health Sciences.
If a student requires a break from their studies during the programme, their ability to complete the course with the School of Chemistry, Pharmacy and Pharmacology may be affected, depending on the timing of the break. This is because there may be no future teaching sessions available for them to attend.
In some cases, it may be possible to transfer to a related course in the School of Health Sciences. This will depend upon GPhC accreditation, course capacity, and approval by the receiving course team.
If a student requires extensions or reassessments, these will continue to be supported by the School of Chemistry, Pharmacy and Pharmacology. The School will retain responsibility for all candidates who have attended teaching sessions and only have assessments outstanding.
The School of Chemistry, Pharmacy and Pharmacology and the School of Health Sciences will continue to work together closely on course design and delivery across both programmes. Prospective students who have any concerns based on the information above should direct any specific questions to pha.prescribing@uea.ac.uk
Further information
If you would like to discuss your individual circumstances prior to applying, please do contact us:
Postgraduate Admissions Office
Tel: +44 (0)1603 591515
Email: admissions@uea.ac.uk
International candidates are also encouraged to access the International Students section of our website.