Principles of Prescribing for Health Care Professionals - 40 credits - L7
Currently viewing course to start in 2025/26 Entry.
The course meets the requirements and standards of both the NMC and HCPC and prepares you to prescribe safely and competently as an independent prescriber or supplementary prescriber to meet the needs of clients/patients and carers with whom you work....
- Level CPD
- Study mode Short Course
- Award L7
- Start date September 2025
- Fees View course fees
- Subjects
- Location City South
This course is:
Overview
The course meets the requirements and standards of both the NMC and HCPC and prepares you to prescribe safely and competently as an independent prescriber or supplementary prescriber to meet the needs of clients/patients and carers with whom you work. As a supplementary prescriber you will work in a voluntary partnership with a registered medical practitioner (a doctor or dentist) to implement an agreed patient-specific written clinical management plan (CMP) with the patient’s agreement. As an independent prescriber, you will be responsible and accountable for the assessment of patients with undiagnosed or diagnosed conditions and for decisions about the clinical management required, including prescribing.
What's covered in this course?
You will be required to reflect systematically on your learning to evaluate and apply knowledge and skills to achieve the assessments of the course. Key aspects of the course are the practice assessment document including the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) Competency Framework for all Prescribers; personal development planning; reflective practice and pharmacology examination. In line with PSRB requirements there will be a written pharmacology examination with a pass mark of 80% and a numeracy assessment with a pass mark of 100%. The course learning outcomes are written to ensure that they are applied to adult, mental health, learning disabilities; children’s nursing; midwifery and also SCPHN.
We are committed to providing excellent, innovative, learning, teaching and assessment experiences. We use technology to enhance your learning, through lectures, seminars, skills, simulation and virtual learning. Engagement of practice partners and service users in all areas of learning, teaching and assessment is integral to our approach. Our evidence based curriculum will empower you to develop and maintain high quality, safe and effective interdisciplinary prescribing provision.
The prescribing courses are available to practitioners working in both the NHS and Independent sector. You must meet NMC or HCPC entry criteria alongside any specific entry requirements set by your employer.
Nurses and midwives must register the V300 award with the NMC within five years of successfully completing the course. If you fail to do this you will have to retake and successfully complete the course in order to qualify and register your award as a prescriber.
Accredited By
This course is accredited by:
Fees & How to Apply
UK students
Annual and modular tuition fees shown are applicable to the first year of study. The University reserves the right to increase fees for subsequent years of study in line with increases in inflation (capped at 5%) or to reflect changes in Government funding policies or changes agreed by Parliament.
Award: L7
Starting: Sep 2025
- Mode
- Duration
- Fees
- Short Course
- 1 day a week over 26 weeks
- £2,210 per 40 credit module
International students
Sorry, this course is not available to International students.
UK students
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Registered Nurse (level 1) or Midwife or Specialist Community Public Health Nursing registrant OR Health and Care Professions Council registrant whose profession is legislated as being able to act as a prescriber |
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NMC Registrants: Registered nurse (level 1)/Midwife or SCPHN (including NHS, self-employed or non-NHS employed registrants) |
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HCPC Registrants: registered Health Care Professional (including NHS, self-employed or non-NHS employed registrants) |
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Paramedics additional entry requirements: |
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Capable of safe and effective practice in clinical/health assessment, diagnostics/care management and planning and evaluation of care (as per Section 4 of Regional Application Form) |
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At least 1 year post registration experience, prior to application on to the course |
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Have the competence, experience, and academic ability to study at degree level |
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Have the necessary governance structures (including clinical support, access to protected learning time and employer support) to undertake the course |
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Have suitable and effective arrangements and governance for practice learning in place for all applicants including arrangements specifically tailored to those applicants who are self-employed |
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Has access to an appropriately qualified Practice Educator or Practice Supervisor and Practice Assessor |
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A declaration of good character from the proposed student’s employer that confirms the student practises in line with the requirements of NMC (2018) The Code, the professional standards of practice and behaviour or HCPC (2024) Standards of conduct, performance and ethics |
Other requirements
| In addition for those applicants that are self-employed, | ||
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A satisfactory DBS check |
Admissions Procedure
All prospective candidates must complete both the BCU application form and the Regional Application Form (RAF).
All applications are reviewed by a member of the course team and assessed against PSRB and course entry requirements. Where all entry criteria are met an offer on the course is made.
If additional information is required this will delay the progression of your application. You therefore may not be offered your first choice date to start the course. You will however be offered a place on the next available intake once all entry requirements have been met.
Please ensure that you read the regional application form carefully, ensuring that all signatures are in ink (we are currently unable to accept e signatures).
If you work in the West Midlands you can obtain a copy of the regional application form from your Non-medical Prescribing Lead. If you are an out of area applicant or self employed please contact the course lead. The regional application form should be uploaded to your application portal as supplementary evidence along with a signed copy of the declaration of good character form (available in your application portal).
Please note, self employed applicants do not need to complete a declaration of good character form. A full DBS should be uploaded instead.
Candidates where admission is not appropriate at the time of application are advised to seek advice from the course team on how to prepare for a subsequent application and a suggested timeframe for future applications.
The process for selection has been designed in partnership with practice partners and service users/carers.
Recognition of prior learning
In line with the NMC (2018) Standards for prescribing programmes, it is possible to request recognition of prior learning (RPL) that is capable of being mapped against the RPS Competency Framework for all Prescribers. Such requests will be considered on an individual basis and should be done prior to admission by discussion with the Course Team who will advise on this process and the documentation required for it.
Course in Depth
Level 7
In order to complete this course a student must successfully complete a core double module totalling 40 credits.
The principles of prescribing for health care professionals course – including V300 consists of three potential pathways:
- Independent/supplementary prescribing for nurses, midwives and Specialist Community Public Health Nurses (SCPHNs) -V300 (level 7)
- Independent/supplementary prescribing for allied health professionals (level 7)
- Supplementary prescribing for allied health professionals (level 7)
The courses meet the requirements and standards of the Nursing and Midwifery Council and Health and Care Professions Council. Upon successful completion you will be awarded 40 credits at Level 7.
To be completed by NMC Registrants.
This double module is designed for registered first level nurses and midwives and also SCPHNs to enable development of safe, competent and knowledgeable prescribing practice. It will develop your professional knowledge; skills; understanding; analysis and theoretical frameworks of prescribing working within your scope of practice.
HCPC Registrants would complete ONE the following depending on their legislative prescribing rights (the course team will advise you on which one you are able to complete).
This double module is designed for registered Allied Health Professionals to enable development of safe, competent and knowledgeable prescribing practice. It will develop your professional knowledge; skills; understanding; analysis and theoretical frameworks of prescribing working within your scope of practice. It meets Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) standards, and upon successful completion of this module you will be able to apply to have the qualification of independent and supplementary prescriber annotated onto the HCPC register.
This double module is designed for registered Allied Health Professionals to enable development of safe, competent and knowledgeable prescribing practice. It will develop your professional knowledge; skills; understanding; analysis and theoretical frameworks of prescribing working within your scope of practice. It meets Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) standards, and upon successful completion of this module you will be able to apply to have the qualification of supplementary prescriber annotated onto the HCPC register.
Download course specification
Download nowLearning strategy
A variety of teaching and learning methods with be used to link theory and practice in developing students’ knowledge, skills and understanding. Methods of learning and teaching include lecture/seminars, interactive lectures, Moodle based activities and on line learning; group work, case studies relating to profession-specific skills, student presentations, and inter professional learning.
Practice based learning experiences will include opportunities to be exposed, participate, identify and internalise pharmacology and the principles of prescribing, achieving the proficiencies as set out in The Prescribing Competency Framework for all prescribers (RPS, 2021).
Formative assessments are those interim assessment opportunities whereby you can gain an enhanced understanding of how well you are progressing with your learning. Modes of formative feedback include self-evaluation quizzes with automated answer feedback, group work feedback and peer feedback and mock exams.
Course dates September 2025
Study day Wednesday.
Please note that the module is offered via a blended approach with some on campus sessions. All sessions are mandatory.
The course is 26 weeks* in duration (*week 25 has 2 study days).
- September 2025 - 3, 10, 17, 24
- October 2025 - 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
- November 2025 - 5, 12, 19, 26
- December 2025 - 3, 10, 17
- January 2026 - 7, 14, 21, 28
- February 2026 - 4, 11, 18, 25
- March 2026 - 3, 4
The Nursing and Midwifery Council
The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) works with partner organisations to set and maintain high standards of nursing and midwifery education across the UK.
This course has been approved and monitored by the NMC to make sure that the education and training on offer meets their standards.
To work as a nurse or midwife, you must pass an NMC approved course at a higher education institution (HEI) in pre-registration nursing and midwifery, leading to registration with the NMC.
Health and Care Professions Council
This course is approved by the Health and Care Professions Council, and will give you eligibility to apply for registration if you successfully complete the course.
Facilities & Staff
Our Facilities
Our Nursing and Midwifery courses are based at our City South campus in leafy Edgbaston.
We’ve spent £41million expanding our facilities at City South. These facilities offer hands-on practical experience, replicating the spaces you will come across in professional practice.
In a sector where new techniques are constantly being discovered, we work hard to ensure that you learn using the most up-to-date equipment available. Alongside physical spaces such as a mock operating theatre and wards, we also make use of online and virtual technology, such as our virtual ward and virtual case creator.
See more of our skills facilities at City South
Centre for Skills and Simulation
The Centre for Skills and Simulation offers a range of different spaces which replicate situations that you will encounter in practice. These include hospital wards, an operating theatre and a home environment room.
Our mock wards enable you to get a feel of what a ward is really like before you head out for your first placement. The hospital wards can be adapted from low care to high dependency care environment with the necessary monitoring equipment.
The home environment room is the perfect space for teaching communications skills and allows us to simulate a community setting for our students. It is particularly useful for mental health nurses, learning disability nurses and midwives.
Simulation Manikins
We have several Simulation men (SIM men) and simulation babies (SIM babies) which are anatomically correct manikins used for teaching specific techniques such as advanced adult and paediatric life support skills, acute and high dependency clinical skills, first aid and communication skills. The manikins contain software which replicates real symptoms, and can manipulate indicators such as blood pressure, pulse and heart rate for extra realism. SIM man can even ‘talk’ to the students as they are treating him, to add another dimension to learning.
Computer Facilities
The Seacole building has two open-access IT Suites which offer PCs, printers, photocopiers and scanners. There is also an IT Helpdesk for quick and easy help with your computing or internet issues.
Our PCs utilise the latest Intel i5 core technology, all with:
- Fast (unrestricted) internet connectivity
- Ability to save files to USB, DVD & CD
- Microsoft Office software
- Research and statistical software
- Storage space which can be accessed from any PC across the University and from home
Our PCs are also designed to support students who may have difficulties with reading and writing, featuring specialised software with zooming/magnification and screen reading capabilities, which may also be customised for individual student needs.
In addition to desktop PCs, we also offer a laptop loan facility, allowing students to borrow a laptop for up to six hours while on campus.
Our staff
Sophie Moran
Course Lead for Non-Medical Prescribing
Sophie is the Course Lead for Non-Medical Prescribing at BCU and an external examiner at Nottingham Trent University. Sophie joined BCU in July 2021.
More about SophieEnquiries
Course enquiries
For any enquiries please contact sophie.moran@bcu.ac.uk