Practice Certificate in Independent Prescribing (NMC and ACP Route)

Become equipped with the skills to prescribe medications safely and effectively. This postgraduate course integrates theoretical learning with practical experience to allow you to undertake roles that require you to take on prescribing responsibilities.

This course is currently open to nurses, midwives and trainee ACP students. If you're GPhC or HCPC registered, please view the Practice Certificate in Independent Prescribing for GPhC and HCPC registered professionals course page. 

Course Structure

The structure of the NHS, healthcare and service delivery is changing at a fast pace. New roles across healthcare services are developing and supporting a multi-disciplinary team approach to improving patient outcomes. This includes supporting patients to access a range of healthcare professionals with the ability to prescribe appropriately and safely within their scope of practice.

• The course combines online learning with interactive face-to-face study days, enhancing flexibility and engagement.
• Your development is supported by learning in practice under the supervision of your Designated Prescribing Practitioner to build real-world skills.
• Simulation-based learning utilises role-playing with expert patient actors to develop communication and clinical skills.

On successful completion of the course, you’ll be awarded the Practice Certificate in Independent Prescribing.

• Face-to-face study days – interactive face-to-face teaching activities include the use of real-life and simulated scenarios with case studies to develop competence in prescribing practice. You’ll develop clinical management plans and consider holistic care of the patient as part of a multi-disciplinary team.
• Independent learning – There’s a strong emphasis on self-directed learning to ensure that the content is contextualised to your area of practice. The blending learning approach allows flexibility in managing your learning to support professional and personal commitments.
• Supervised learning – Your development is supported by learning in practice under the supervision of your Designated Prescribing Practitioner (DPP). You should be spending at least 50% of your supervised learning in practice time with your DPP. Time with any other practitioners can support your learning and should be agreed in advance with your DPP.
• Assessment methods – Assessments include a case presentation, pharmacology-based assessment, calculations assessment, Significant Event Analysis, OSCE (objective structured clinical examinations), 24 mandatory SCRIPT modules and completion of a structured learning and reflective portfolio.

The modules listed for this programme are regularly reviewed to ensure they are up-to-date and informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Any optional module information listed for this programme is intended to be indicative, and the availability of optional modules may vary from year to year. Where a module is no longer available, we will let you know as soon as we can and help you to make other choices.

• Module 1 - Prescribing: Scientific Principles and Practice
• Module 2 - Prescribing: Safe Effective Practice
• Module 3 - Prescribing: Structured Reflective Portfolio

Admissions to the course are undertaken through a process of a university application followed by a supplementary course application form. You'll be required to submit confirmation of your prior experience in relation to your intended prescribing role. Your application will need to be supported by your line manager/employer(s) and where relevant agreement of your organisation's non-medical prescribing lead.

Due to the nature of teaching and learning on this course the number of places in each cohort is controlled. Admissions to the Practice Certificate in Independent Prescribing may therefore be competitive.

If your application meets the criteria (subject to conditions placed on the application) but the immediate cohort is full, a conditional offer will be recommended for the next available entry.

All candidates will be subject to an interview. Offers to the course will be conditional on satisfactory enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) statement and up to date immunisation record submission.

Please note as you are qualified, registered and practicing professionals, you are subject to the fitness to practice procedure for your professional regulator.

NMC Applicants

Nurse / Midwife applicants for Practice Certificate in Independent Prescribing must have:

• Current registration (level 1) for Nurses and Midwives with the NMC• Have at least one years’ experience as a practising level 1 registered nurse, midwife or specialist community public health nurse
• Be deemed as holding safe and effective practice to undertake the independent prescribing programme by your employer or an agreed responsible person for self-employed candidates. This will include confirmation of:
•  clinical/health assessment
• diagnostics/care management/planning
• evaluation of care
• Hold an Honours degree or have evidence of the ability to study the prescribing qualification at Level M (BSc/BA Honours degree or equivalent professional qualification).
• Confirmation that governance structures are in place for clinical support, access to protected learning time and employer support (where appropriate) during the programme.
• Have an identified Designated Prescribing Practitioner (DPP) who meets the eligibility criteria for the Practice Assessor role (PS) (NMC 2018) and who has agreed to provide assessment required during the term of supervised practice as a trainee independent prescriber
• Have an identified prescribing practitioner who meets the eligibility criteria for the Practice Supervisor (PS) role (NMC 2018) and who has agreed to provide supervision required during the term of supervised practice as a trainee independent prescriber
• Declaration of good character by employer or agreed responsible person.

GPhC and HCPC students requirements will have been met as part of the ACP application.

We charge an annual tuition fee. Fees for 2025 entry are above.

The fees quoted are for one year only. For those studying courses that are longer than one year, tuition fees will also be payable in subsequent years of your programme.

Paying your tuition fees

Tuition fees can either be paid in full or by instalments. You can check whether you are eligible for UK or international fees with our admissions team.

Learn more about postgraduate tuition fees and funding.

We are proud to announce that the University of Birmingham are listed as an institution providing course provision for Health Education England (HEE) funded pharmacist applicants. Please ensure that you send the appropriate funding documentation alongside your application form for the course following the process highlighted above.

Postgraduate Masters Loan

To help with the cost of studies, this loan is available to all UK students. You can use this loan towards fees, maintenance or other costs at your own discretion. It’s available for all full-time, part-time and distance learning Masters programmes, as long as you don’t already have a Masters qualification (or equivalent).If you’re a student from Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, you can apply for Masters loans from your country’s government.

Scholarships

To help you afford your studies, we’ve put more than £33 million into student support and scholarships. We also offer a range of advice on searching for funding and managing your finances.

Birmingham Masters Scholarships

We want to welcome the brightest talent to our postgraduate community. That’s why our Birmingham Masters Scholarships award £3,000 to more than 300 students each year.

Select whether you are a UK student or an international student for relevant application deadlines.

Please Note

• The course is only available to applicants who are registered with: Nursing and Midwifery Council and (General Pharmaceutical Council, and the Health and Care Professionals Council trainee ACP’s)
• The running of the course is subject to minimum numbers.

To apply for the Practice Certificate in Independent Prescribing, you'll need to submit your application and supporting documents online.

All applicants are required to complete the online application. In addition, you'll need to complete a supplementary application form and Educational Audit.

• Supplementary application form.
• Educational Audit.

Once completed, please send your form and requested documents to nursing-prescribing@contacts.bham.ac.uk. Please note that this is an essential part of the process and your application cannot be considered without this supplementary form and required documents.

Graduate destinations include: GP surgeries, mental health services, addiction services, pain management, and specialist secondary care services.

Careers Network

Get ready for tomorrow, with advice, guidance and opportunities at every step of your studies. From developing new skills to preparing for a PhD, our Careers Network can help you gain an advantage in the job market or advance in your field.

Whatever you plan to do after your degree, the Careers Network offers a range of events and support services including networking opportunities, career coaching, one-to-one guidance, careers fairs and links with leading graduate recruiters. We also offer subject-specific careers consultants and a dedicated careers website for international students.