Program Overview

Independent and Supplementary Prescribing for Nurses and Midwives

Overview

This Independent and Supplementary Prescribing course will provide NMC registered nurses (adult, mental health, learning disability and children’s); midwives; and specialist community public health nurses with the knowledge and skills required to practise as safe, effective and competent independent and supplementary prescribers, who are able to provide and be accountable for a high professional standard of care and be accountable for that care.

Key Facts

• Course code: CPD7008
• Start dates: September 2025 / January 2026 / September 2026
• Application deadline: 1 July (for a September start), 1 November (for a January start)
• Location: Headington (Marston Road site)
• Course length: Part time: Two semesters
• School(s): Oxford School of Nursing and Midwifery
• Academic level: 7
• Academic credits: 40

Entry Requirements

• Be registered with the UK Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), be a registered nurse (Level 1), registered midwife or SCPHN, and working within the United Kingdom
• Meet the NMC (2023) Standards for prescribing requirements section 1 to be eligible for the course
• Have successfully completed an accredited Level 6 or 7 module in History Taking and Physical Assessment
• Have an identified Practice Assessor and Practice Supervisor who meet the NMC (2023) Standards for student supervision and assessment and RPS (2020) Competency Framework for Designated Prescribing Practitioners
• Have a current satisfactory full enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check (within the last 3 years)
• Have an Honours degree or higher, or be able to provide evidence of your potential to study at Level 7
• Have the support of your employer who will confirm that your post is one in which you will have the need and opportunity to act as an independent/supplementary prescribe.

Tuition Fees

• 2025 / 26: CPD Home (UK) part time: £2,000 per module if taken as a standalone module or £2,420 per module if taken as part of an award bearing course
• Fees quoted are for the first year only: If you are studying a course that lasts longer than one year your fees will increase each year.
• How and when to pay: Tuition fee instalments for the semester are due by the Monday of week 1 of each semester. Students are not liable for full fees for that semester if they leave before week 4. If the leaving date is after week 4, full fees for the semester are payable.

Learning and Assessment

• Course structure: This course consists of both taught content and e-learning activities. The taught days take the form of a range of lectures, discussions and tutorials. The e-learning activities are accessed via the Virtual Learning Environment.
• Practice requirements: Students are also required to complete a minimum of 80 hours of direct supervised practice alongside a practice supervisor/assessor.
• Assessment methods: The assessment strategy for this course is designed to assess the professional requirements for safe, effective and cost-effective prescribing and enable the students to demonstrate competency against the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (2021) A Competency Framework for all Prescribers.
• Assessment components:
  • Learning Log of Prescribing Evidence (mapped to RPS competencies, 2021)
  • Personal formulary from within the individual practitioner’s scope of practice
  • Evidence of satisfactory completion of a period of 80 hours of educationally led supervised practice
  • Pharmacology in-class test
  • Numeracy in-class test