Program Overview

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Non-Medical Prescribing

AdvCert

Attendance

• Part-time

Campus

• Preston Campus
• Burnley Campus

Start

• September 2025
• February 2026
• January 2026
• April 2026

Duration

• 6 months

Delivery

• In-person

Overview

Our Advanced Certificate in Non-Medical Prescribing enables nurses, midwives, pharmacists, physiotherapists, and podiatrists to prescribe. This is subject to annotation of the relevant professional register.

Course Description

The course is aimed at practitioners who wish to enhance their clinical practice by prescribing as independent and supplementary prescribers using Clinical Management Plans. These are according to relevant professional standards as stipulated by:

• The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)
• The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)
• The Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)

The generic nature of the course enables you to apply the theory directly to your own practice area or speciality.

Course Structure

The course is delivered four times a year starting in:

• September (Thursdays)
• January (Wednesdays - not for pharmacists)
• February (Wednesdays and Fridays)
• April (Thursdays and Fridays - not for pharmacists)

Why Study with Us

• You'll be taught by an experienced multidisciplinary team.
• Healthcare professionals benefit from learning together in a modern and well-equipped learning environment.
• Learn through a combination of taught study days on-campus and online learning.

Course Information

The course comprises a combination of taught study days on-campus and via directed study using our resources. This includes a non-medical prescribing web resource and our online learning environment (Blackboard).

The course covers content as stipulated by each of the professional bodies (NMC, GPhC, and HCPC) as follows:

• Consultation, decision making, assessment and review of therapy, including non-drug treatment
• Influences on and psychology of prescribing
• Context of prescribing – team, supplementary, independent
• Clinical pharmacology, including the effects of comorbidity
• Pathophysiology, natural history and progression of defined conditions for which the professional may prescribe
• Principles and methods of patient monitoring
• Evidence-based practice and clinical governance in relation to non-medical prescribing
• Legal policy and ethical aspects in relation to non-medical prescribing, including unlicensed and off-license medicines, remote prescribing, botulinum toxin and related products
• Professional accountability and responsibility in relation to non-medical prescribing
• Prescribing in the public health context
• Policy in Trust, local health economy and national contexts
• Reflective approaches and continuing professional development

Registration

On successful completion of the course and subsequent registration with the appropriate regulatory body:

• Nurses and midwives will receive the V300 Independent and Supplementary Prescribing entry to the NMC register.
• Pharmacists will receive a ‘Practice Certificate in Independent Prescribing’ which can be used to have their entry in the GPhC register annotated.
• Allied health professionals (physiotherapists, chiropodists/podiatrists, therapeutic radiographers) will receive a statement of competence to practice as an Independent and/or Supplementary Prescriber from the HCPC.
• Allied health professionals (diagnostic radiographers, dieticians) will receive a statement of competence to practice as a Supplementary Prescriber from the HCPC.

All successful candidates will receive an Advanced Certificate in Non-medical Prescribing.

Modules

This course is offered as a double module and attracts 40 credits at Level 6 (NH3300) or 40 credits at Level 7 (NH4300). You may only undertake one of these modules.

Optional Modules

Depending on how many compulsory modules you take, you may be able to choose optional modules to make up your course.

• Non-medical Prescribing (Level 6)
• Non-medical Prescribing (Level 7)

Entry Requirements

• You must be registered with:
  • The Nursing and Midwifery Council; or
  • The General Pharmaceutical Council and/or the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland; or
  • The Health and Care Professions Council
• You must also have the following:
  • Approval by the relevant Trust NMP lead and manager (not required for self-funding applicants, although additional information may be required to ensure that the entry criteria on the application form are met).
  • Ability to identify the benefits to practice of undertaking the course.
  • A current criminal identity check (enhanced disclosure) via the Disclosure and Barring Scheme (DBS) prior to admission to the programme (original copy of DBS is required).
  • Be working in, or able to access a practice environment that will enable you to meet and achieve the course learning outcomes.
  • Be able to satisfy the Course Leader that you have sufficient expertise and competence in the chosen area of prescribing (through application form and/or informal interview).
  • Be able to identify a designated medical practitioner (DMP) who has experience in relevant field of practice; trained and experienced in supervising, supporting and assessing trainees; who has agreed to provide the trainee with opportunities to develop competencies in prescribing, supervise support and assess clinical practice.
  • Demonstrate ability to study at academic level 6 or 7.

Profession-Specific Requirements

• Nurses, midwives and specialist community public health nurses and relevant allied health professionals are required to have a minimum of three years relevant post-registration experience.
• Nurses, midwives and specialist community public health nurses are required to have been in the clinical field they intend to prescribe for at least one year immediately preceding application to the course.
• Pharmacists must have a minimum of two years appropriate patient-oriented experience in addition to the pre-registration year.
• It is a requirement of the Health and Care Professions Council that allied health professions provide a medical certificate verifying that they are in good health.

Fees and Funding

• 2024/25: UK - Part-time £1,800 one-off fee
• 2025/26: UK - Part-time To be confirmed one-off fee

Additional Costs

As part of your course, there may be additional costs to consider that are not included in your tuition fees. Most of these will be optional, but some courses have essential additional costs.

Progression Pathways

Credits from the NMP course can be used towards some post-registration programmes.

Learning Environment

The course is designed for experienced practitioners, and the use of student-centered teaching and learning strategies is central to the course design. The sessions are delivered by a very experienced multi-professional team via a range of approaches including: lectures, group discussions, case studies, seminars, tutorials, online Blackboard materials, and an interactive e-learning Web Resource. In addition, the opportunity afforded by shared multi-professional learning will enhance your educational experience.

Student support from module supervisors will be ongoing throughout the programme, which includes direct contact and via email and telephone.

Assessment of the course is in four parts, all of which must be passed in order to successfully complete the course. These are the production of a 4000-word portfolio of professional development in prescribing practice, written examination, Observed Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE), and achievement of competence in practice. Students who undertake the level 7 module (NU4023) will also have a viva voce with the OSCE.

The teaching team is very experienced in delivering prescribing programmes, with team members having a wide range of relevant skills, experience, and qualifications. Examples of teaching team members’ other relevant roles include clinical practice, prescribing, Chair of the North West Non-medical Prescribing Education Group, membership of prescribing forums, and external examiner posts on prescribing courses at other UK universities. The teaching team have well-established links with Trust Non-medical Prescribing Leads throughout the region. All members of the teaching team are published authors. Many are actively involved in research related to prescribing or related topics.

As part of the course, you will have the opportunity to hear about the experiences of service users, carers, patients, and public members via our community engagement and service user support groups (Comensus).

Industry Links

The course team have close links with local NHS Trusts and Primary Care Organisations in addition to the Health and Education Co-operative.

The course is accredited by the NMC, GPhC, and HCPC for podiatrists, physiotherapists, and paramedics.

Enquiries and Applications

Application for the course is made directly to the University following completion of the Non-medical Prescribing application form. This can be downloaded from the Health & Education Co-op website. All sections must be completed.

Funding

NHS funding may be available. Please contact your Trust NMP Lead for further information.

If you are being funded by your employer, you may need to complete an additional form to request funding from their NMP Lead.

If you're self-funding, you may wish to discuss your application with the Course Leader, Ruth Broadhead.