Independent and Supplementary Non-medical Prescribing

This postgraduate 30 credit level 7 module prepares registered health professionals for independent and supplementary non‑medical prescribing in line with NMC (2024), HCPC (2024) and Royal Pharmaceutical Society standards.

Through a blend of classroom teaching, supervised practice and guided independent study, students develop advanced consultation, clinical decision‑making and pharmacology skills.

The module supports safe, ethical and evidence‑based prescribing within the student’s professional scope, enabling them to meet national prescribing competencies and enhance patient care across health and social care settings.

Who is it for?

For registered nurses, midwives and allied health professionals who wish to qualify as independent and supplementary non‑medical prescribers within their professional scope of prescribing practice: Independent and Supplementary Prescribing: Nurses, Midwives, Physiotherapists, Chiropodists/Podiatrists, Therapeutic Radiographers Supplementary Prescribing: Dieticians & Diagnostic Radio

Timetable

Clerkenwell Campus

Term 1 September 2026 (Provisional dates)

Sept: Tuesday 22 and 29 September 2026
Oct: Tuesday 6, 13 and 20 October 2026
Nov: Tuesday 3, 10, 17, and 24 November 2026
Dec: Tuesday 1 and 8 or 10 December 2026

Pharmacology Exam: 15 December 2026

Term 2 January 2027 (Provisional dates)

Jan: Tuesday 5, 12, 19, and 26 January 2026
Feb: Tuesday 2, 9, 16 and 23 February 2026
Mar: Tuesday 2 and 9 March 2026

Pharmacology Exam: 13 April 2027

Term 3 (May 2026)

April: Tuesday 27 April 2027
May: Tuesday 4, 11, 18 and 25 May 2027
Jun: Tuesday 8, 15, 22 and 29 June 2027
Jul: Tuesday 6, 13 and 15 July 2027

Pharmacology Exam: 20 July2027

Tooting Campus

Term 2 January 2027 (Provisional dates)

Jan: 7, 14, 21 and 28  January 2027
Feb: 4, 11, 18 and 25 February 2027
Mar: 4, 11 and 18 March 2027

For all Tooting enquiries please contact: sanscomb@citystgeorges.ac.uk or acp@sgul.ac.uk

Benefits

Gain 30 postgraduate credits while developing the competence and confidence required for safe, effective prescribing that meets national professional and regulatory standards.

Following successful completion of this module, your professional regulator will endorse your registration. Once that is completed, and you have the support of your employer, you will be ready to start prescribing within your scope of practice.

Transfer course credits towards postgraduate taught degree

As a health care professional, once you've completed this course you could offset 30 credits as part of a postgraduate programme, continuing your study with further modules to make up a Postgraduate Certificate (PGCert) 60 credits, Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) 120 credits or Master of Science (MSc) 180 credits qualification (all credits must be awarded within five years of study commencing).

Key topics

• Consultation skills, shared decision‑making and therapeutic planning
• Clinical assessment, diagnosis and treatment planning
• Applied pharmacology and medicines optimisation
• Legal, ethical and professional accountability in prescribing
• Prescribing governance, policy and evidence‑based practice
• Interprofessional and team‑based prescribing across care settings

By the end of the module, you will be able to:

• Prescribe safely, appropriately and cost‑effectively within your identified scope of prescribing practice
• Apply clinical pharmacology and diagnostic reasoning to prescribing decisions
• Evaluate and monitor treatment plans to optimise patient outcomes
• Practise ethically and accountably within legal and regulatory frameworks
• Work collaboratively within inter-disciplinary and inter-agency prescribing teams
• Meet the Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s Competency Framework for All Prescribers

Assessment

To pass the module, students must successfully complete:

• Drug calculations examination (100% pass required)
• Pharmacology and prescribing examination (≥80% pass required)
• Prescribing Practice Assessment Document (PAD), including 90 hours of supervised practice
• A 2,500‑word written assignment (≥50% pass mark)

Pass requirements reflect national regulatory standards set by the NMC and HCPC.

Credits and certification

This is a 30‑credit Level 7 postgraduate module. On successful completion, students receive formal academic credit and evidence of eligibility to apply for prescribing annotation with their professional regulator (NMC or HCPC).

Credits

This course is worth 30 credits toward eligible programmes.

Applicants must be registered with a relevant UK professional regulatory body (NMC or HCPC) and meet all professional body requirements for entry to a prescribing module/programme.

Students must have appropriate clinical experience, access to supervised prescribing practice, and employer support.

The module assumes an ability to study at postgraduate level and apply learning within a defined scope of prescribing practice.

Aesthetic practitioners only: Applicants who intend to prescribe aesthetic (cosmetic) interventions will also be required to meet the JCCP/CPSA Code of Practice Can provide evidence related to being - An Active and Compliant Member a Professional Standards Register (related to Cosmetic  Medicine) or practice from a private healthcare environment that is regulated by a Health Care Regulator (CQC, HIW, HIS). - Have a minimum of Accredited L7 PG Cert in Cosmetic / Aesthetic Medicine - Hold Professional Indemnity Insurance sufficient to cover all liability risks associated with the practitioner's practice.

English requirements

For those students whose first language is not English the following qualification is also required:

• IELTS: 7.0

Core texts and professional guidance may include:

• Royal Pharmaceutical Society: A Competency Framework for All Prescribers
• NMC and HCPC prescribing standards and professional codes
• Pathophysiology & Pharmacology in Nursing
• Fundamentals of Pharmacology for Nursing and Healthcare Students
• Prescribing Mental Health Medication
• The Textbook of Non‑Medical Prescribing

Further reading will be recommended throughout the module.