PGCertIndependent Prescribing Practice
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- 2025
- 2026
Why study an independent prescribing practice PGCert at Solent University
Health care professionals can further develop their clinical competencies and gain additional skills to become NMC accredited as an Independent and Supplementary prescriber.
- £0minvested in our campus estate and facilities over the past five years
- 0thuniversity in the UK for low carbon emissions (THE 2023)
- The course integrates Immersive Simulation - Integrated into the curriculum on a weekly basis in history taking and physical assessment and occasionally in independent and supplementary prescribing
- Interact with service users who have complex drug regimens requires careful coordination, detailed medication review, and personalised communication to ensure safe and effective treatment management.
- The Independent and Supplementary Prescribing qualification is accredited by the NMC - this means you will be entitled to update your registration status to Independent and Supplementary Prescriber upon completion of this PGCert.
Course overview
This programme is for healthcare professionals that wish to expand their competencies. You can gain a qualification stating you have concluded a history taking and physical assessment course and a certificate of conclusion of our Independent and Supplementary Programme, which will grant you accreditation with the NMC with Independent Prescriber (V300) annotation.Â
Designed for registered nurses in the United Kingdom with at least one year of experience, this course and prepares you to accurately obtain a clinical history during consultations, gather and interpret relevant information to inform potential differential diagnoses, and outline appropriate management plans.
The course contains two modules – history taking and physical assessment and Independent and Supplementary Prescribing.
For independent and supplementary Prescribing each candidate must nominate a practice assessor and a practice supervisor to support their learning journey. These mentors will supervise 90 hours of teaching within the student's designated area of expertise, providing hands-on guidance and ensuring real-world application of course content. This structured support system is integral to developing safe prescribing skills and enhancing professional practice.
You will develop clinical competencies in the scope of advanced clinical consultation with special emphasis on the importance of the clinical history, evidence-based physical examination interpretation of clinical findings and the formulation of differential diagnoses. You'll also be expected to critique scientific evidence related to drug trials as well as study the sciences of pharmacology and prescribing to adequately prescribe in response to different clinical situations and scenarios.
Our academics, with diverse backgrounds in hospital, community, and private sector practice, actively practice and prescribe on a weekly basis, bring real-world expertise directly into the classroom.
This course covers essential clinical skills such as history taking, physical assessment, clinical decision-making and prescribing to ensure safe practices, with a strong emphasis on merging theoretical knowledge with clinical application. Students will engage with various scenarios reflective practice and the use of local and national guidelines to inform their decisions. Our teaching team is dedicated to providing each candidate with the best student experience, ensuring you are well-prepared for prescribing in clinical practice and advance your career in healthcare.Â
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Email:Â Call:ÂCourse features
Professional accreditation
This course has been accredited by a professional body
Professional membership
You have the opportunity to obtain a professional membership as part of this degree
Specialist facilities
This course has access to specialist facilities
This course is for
This course is exclusively designed for registered nurses with at least one year of experience who are currently practicing in the United Kingdom. Each candidate must nominate a practice assessor and a practice supervisor to support their learning journey. These mentors will supervise 90 hours of teaching within the student's designated area of expertise, ensuring hands-on guidance and real-world application of course content. This structured support system is integral to developing evidence-based prescribing skills and enhancing professional practice.
What this course leads to
You'll develop skills needed to make safe clinical decisions when assessing service users with diverse health needs across all healthcare settings.
- Independent prescriber
Meet the team
Learn from qualified staff with a wealth of experience working in a range of clinical settings.
The University cannot guarantee any particular members of staff will teach specific aspects of the course in the future, but will endeavour to ensure the teaching team maintains their balance of experience and qualifications.
Facilities
You’ll have access to a range of our specialist facilities, including a nursing simulation suite with a six bed ward, GP consulting room, nurse’s treatment room, waiting area/break out space, care home bedroom and working kitchen and bathroom. There is a wide range of clinical equipment including simulation manikins to facilitate various simulated scenarios.
Our vibrant campus brings state-of-the-art facilities to enhance your learning and elevate your student experience. Our award-winning teaching building, The Spark is centred around students and offers a stimulating study environment with flexible learning spaces.
Year one
Core modules
History Taking and Physical Assessment
Students will develop clinical competencies in the scope of advanced clinical consultation with special emphasis on the importance of the clinical history, evidence-based physical examination interpretation of clinical findings and the formulation of differential diagnoses. On completion of this module, students will have collected a portfolio of evidence are expected to complete a systematic and structured history taking assessment alongside a physical examination which will allow the formulation of a diagnostic hypothesis in the context of a clinical consultation.
Independent and Supplementary Prescribing
The course offers a rich blend of direct, collaborative, and guided learning, designed to immerse students in the multifaceted world of prescribing. Through this approach, participants develop the skills necessary for safe and effective prescribing, while critically engaging with scientific evidence from drug trials and deepening their understanding of pharmacology and prescribing sciences. The curriculum also encourages reflection on the ethical and psycho-social influences shaping prescribing practice, ensuring students integrate the essential competencies outlined in the Competency Framework for All Prescribers (RPS 2021). This holistic approach equips learners to make informed, evidence-based decisions in clinical settings while maintaining professional accountability and patient safety. Assessment is delivered across two complementary domains, theoretical and practice-based, providing a rigorous evaluation of both knowledge and clinical proficiency. Theoretical assessment comprises two examinations-pharmacology and numeracy-contributing 40% and 20% to the final award respectively. Practice-based learning requires students to engage with nominated practice assessors, supervisors, or educators who hold relevant prescribing qualifications and ideally possess at least three years of recent clinical experience. These professionals guide, supervise, and assess students throughout the course, fostering reflective practice, monitoring progress, and supporting clinical decision-making within ethical, legal, and evidence-based frameworks. Students undergo a tripartite, triangulated assessment with interviews at weeks 3, 7, and 15, alongside submission of a portfolio including the RPS Competency Framework sign-off, personal formulary, critical reflective assignment, sampled prescriptions, practice learning logs, and service user feedback. Successful completion of both theoretical and practice-based components-including exams, reflective assignments, and portfolio-confers the prescribing qualification and updates the registrant’s prescribing status, ensuring graduates are fully equipped to practise safely, competently, and confidently.
Learning resources
At Solent, our aim is to deliver innovative, inclusive and intellectually stimulating teaching to develop self-confident and highly employable graduates. All our courses are designed with employability in mind, which makes industry-based learning a priority.
Learn transferable skills
Interdisciplinary learning means you can develop the skills needed to make safe clinical decisions when assessing service users with diverse health needs across all healthcare settings and complete a systematic and structured history taking assessment alongside a physical examination which will allow you to formulate your diagnostic hypothesis and how you can relate your findings with your clinical decision making.
Why choose independent prescribing practice?
Designed for health care professionals to further develop their clinical competencies, this course will provide additional skills to become NMC accredited as an Independent and Supplementary prescriber.
With real-world learning and practice, the course integrates immersive simulation integrated into the curriculum on a weekly basis in history taking and physical assessment and occasionally in independent and supplementary prescribing.
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The Solent Careers team is committed to getting students into great careers.
While you are studying, the team can help you with finding work experience or placements, link you with a mentor, check your CV, or offer one-to-one guidance.
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Research at SolentTuition fees
The tuition fees for the 2025/26 academic year are not yet available. For guidance, the 2024/25 fees were:
- UK and Channel Island full-time fees: £3,000
For further information, please visit our tuition fees page.
Extra course costs
While most course costs are covered by your tuition fees, some essential resources and optional extras may need to be paid for separately. For advice on budgeting and managing your money, please contact student.funding@solent.ac.uk.
Alumni discount
Solent alumni are eligible for a 20% reduction of tuition fees if returning to study a postgraduate course.
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Solent University offers a range of bursaries and scholarships that provide financial assistance or waive fees for tuition or accommodation. Each bursary or scholarship has specific eligibility criteria. Check out our bursaries and scholarships pages to find out more.
Cost of living support
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Graduation costs
There is no charge to attend graduation, but you will be required to pay for the rental of your academic gown (approximately £45 per graduate, depending on your award). You may also wish to purchase official photography packages, which range in price from £15 to £200+. Graduation is not compulsory, so if you prefer to have your award sent to you, there is no cost. Extra guest tickets will go on sale after results publication and will be sold on a first-come-first-served basis. The cost per ticket is currently £20. Please note, we do not guarantee there will be any extra tickets available to purchase.
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Entry requirements
Please select an option below:
Key entry requirements
Subjects required: nursing or paramedic science.
Registered Nurse (level 1) and have minimum of 1 year experience post registration (or part time equivalent) prior to course entry with no restrictions to practice.
Appropriate enhanced DBS Disclosure in place with nothing to declare.
Acknowledgment of the programme rules whilst undertaking training (stated in the application form).
Key entry requirements
If you are applying from outside the UK, find information about entry requirements, visas and agents for your country here.
For further information about UK, EU and international qualifications, please contact admissions.
Key entry requirements
If you are applying from outside the UK, find information about entry requirements, visas and agents for your country here.
For further information about UK, EU and international qualifications, please contact admissions.
Note to all international students requiring a visa
All international applicants need to be aware that the English language requirements to attend Solent University, and the English language requirements to obtain a visa from the Home Office, may be different. This means that if you meet the Solent University language requirement to gain a place on the course, you may still have to meet additional requirements to be granted with a visa by the Home Office.
We strongly advise all applicants to visit the Home Office website which outlines all the requirements for a successful visa application and to take a look at our course entry statement document.
Any questions?
Contact international admissions
Email:Â Call:ÂYour application checklist
Applications for postgraduate courses can be made at any time prior to the start of the course. However, we strongly recommend you apply at your earliest convenience.
Please ensure you upload the following mandatory documents with your application:
- Two academic references.
- Certified transcripts of qualifications, including English language proficiency if non-UK student.
- Copy of passport.
- Copy of current visa (if applicable).
- A personal statement.
- Employer sponsor form, where appropriate.
Language requirements
Applicants who do not have English as their first language will be required to demonstrate an approved level of proficiency in the use of the English language. The agreed minimum requirements for this course are:
- IELTS minimum 6.5 overall with no component score below 5.5
- TOEFL IBT 92 with a minimum of 22 in writing and a minimum of 20 in reading, listening and speaking
- Duolingo English Language Test - 115 overall with minimum of 100 in each component or equivalent.
Qualifications are checked before enrolment, and international students must bring their original certificates or certified copies when coming to study at the University.
Pre-Sessional English programme
The University also offers a pre-sessional English programme for international students who wish to improve their level of English before starting a degree course.
Study options
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- 1 year full-time
