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Welcome to the Independent Prescribing section of the HSC Practice Learning website.
This page provides essential information for prospective learners, Designated Prescribing Practitioners (DPPs), and Practice Supervisors (PSs) involved in the course.
Course Overview
The Independent Prescribing course is designed to equip a range of registered healthcare professionals with the knowledge, skills, and attributes required to become safe and competent independent prescribers.
| Purpose | Enables eligible healthcare professionals (pharmacists, nurses, midwives, and allied health professionals) to become competent independent prescribers, meeting the standards set by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC), Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), and Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). |
| Duration | Typically 6 months, part-time. |
| Credits | 40 credits at Level 7 (postgraduate). |
| Delivery | Blended learning, incorporating online modules, eLearning, and in-person study days. |
| Intakes | Two per year. |
Structure & Learning
Study Days: Around 8 structured study days with compulsory pre-study activities.
Clinical Practice: A minimum of 78–90 hours of supervised practice under a Designated Prescribing Practitioner (DPP).
Topics Covered:
Advanced consultation skills
Clinical decision-making
Examination and diagnostics
Law, ethics, and governance
Public health and prescribing responsibilities
Assessment
Successful completion of the course requires meeting both academic and clinical competency standards:
Written assignments
Clinical competency portfolio
OSCEs (Objective Structured Clinical Examinations)
Workplace-based assessments
Entry Requirements
Applicants must:
Be a registered healthcare professional (pharmacist, nurse, midwife, or HCPC registrant) with at least one year of post-qualification experience.
Provide evidence of recent academic study and the ability to study at Level 7 (postgraduate).
Demonstrate organisational support, including:
Identified service need
Access to a prescribing budget
Designated Prescribing Practitioner (DPP) and Practice Supervisor (PS) confirmed
Established clinical governance arrangements
Outcome
Successful completion allows the applicant to apply for annotation as an Independent and Supplementary Prescriber with their relevant regulatory body (GPhC, NMC, or HCPC).
Practice Learning Documents
The following documents contain essential information for learners, DPPs, and PSs regarding expectations, procedures, and assessment within the course.
Designated Prescribing Practitioner Handbook
NMC & HCPC Independent Prescribing Student Handbook
Designated Prescribing Practitioner Flow Chart
Supervision and Assessment of Independent Prescribing Students
IPPAD Independent Prescribing Practice Assessment Document
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Key Regulatory & Professional Resources
The professional standards for prescribing are set by your respective regulatory body. All learners and prescribers are expected to adhere to the standards outlined below.
Prescribing Competency
All UK prescribing programmes are mapped to a core set of competencies:
Royal Pharmaceutical Society - A Competency Framework for all Prescribers (2021/2022)
Note: This framework has been adopted by the GPhC, NMC, and HCPC as the standard for competency.
Royal Pharmaceutical Society - Competency framework for designated prescribing practitioners (2019)
Essential guidance for all DPPs and PSs.