Independent / Supplementary non-medical prescribing for Nurses and Allied Health Professionals

It is a condition of the admission process that you are working in an area where you will have the opportunity to and be expected to prescribe.  You will need the support of a practice assessor and supervisor (for NMC registrants) or a practice educator (for HCPC registrants).  If you are a self-employed registrant you are required to identify a practice area where you can access an assessor and supervisor. You will need to provide evidence of support from them.

For nurses (NMC registered)

• Registered nurse with the necessary skills, knowledge, and experience to undertake the programme.
• Have at least one year post-registration experience (or part time equivalent) to allow for the consolidation of your pre-registration learning.
• Evidence of ability to study at Level 6 or 7 with a good command of English.
• You must be able to demonstrate a good standard of numeracy skills.
• Have an approved prescriber as a Practice Assessor who has agreed to provide supervision, support, and assessment.  They need to agree to provide the student with opportunities to develop competencies in prescribing during their supervised hours.  They will be required to sign a learning contract.
• Have an approved prescriber as a Practice Supervisor who will guide you through the practice learning elements of the course.  They will also be required to sign the learning contract.

HCPC registered professionals

• Registered with the HCPC in one of the relevant allied health professions with the necessary skills, knowledge, and experience to undertake the programme.
• Have at least one year post-registration experience (or part time equivalent) to allow for the consolidation of your pre-registration learning.
• Have an approved prescriber as a Practice Educator who has agreed to provide supervision, support, and assessment.  They need to agree to provide the student with opportunities to develop competencies in prescribing during their supervised hours.  They will be required to sign a learning contract.
• Be working at an advanced clinical level

Self-employed applicants

There are further conditions for those who are self-employed.  You must be able to

• Demonstrate appropriate governance arrangements
• Arrange your own placement where you will have a practice assessor and practice supervisor who are appropriately experienced.

Practice assessors and supervisor information

Practice Supervisor

A registered health professional who supports the student and serves as a role model for safe and effective practice.  A practice supervisor is essential for a nurse and recommended for allied health professionals.  For nurses, the supervisor must be a registered nurse or doctor or registered health professional who is an active prescriber, works in the same clinical area as the student, is a role model for safe and effective practice, has up to date knowledge of prescribing skills in the clinical area, is able to commit time to supervise and support the student. They will support and supervise students, giving feedback to them and to the practice assessor on their achievements.

A student may have more than one supervisor.

Practice Assessor

Any qualified prescriber who assesses student practice learning. They must be a registered healthcare professional and an experienced prescriber with suitable equivalent qualifications for the programme the student is undertaking. For nurses, the practice assessor and the practice supervisor must be two separate individuals who will work together to assess progress in meeting the learning outcomes. 

The assessor may be a medical prescriber or a non-medical prescriber. They must be an active prescriber who does not necessarily need to work in the same clinical area as the student, and who is a role model for safe and effective practice, The practice assessor must have up to date knowledge of prescribing skills in the area and have time to assess and support the student.

The role of the practice assessor is to assess the student’s competence in practice.  The practice assessor will provide regular support, feedback and advice on the student’s progress and will consult with the practice supervisor to do so.  The practice assessor needs to confirm, at the end of the course, that the student meets the competencies of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) safely.  The practice assessor will be the same individual throughout the course.

In order to undertake the role of practice assessor an individual will need to:

• Make and record in the students’ Practice assessment document objective, evidenced-based assessments on conduct, proficiency, and achievement.
• Receive ongoing support from the employer/practice area in order to participate in the practice learning of students.
• Support learning in line with the NMC/HCPC Standards for prescribing and the RPS competency framework

Practice Educator

For allied health professionals, they will be required to identify a Practice Educator who satisfies the following criteria as stated by the HCPC. They will act as Practice Supervisor and Practice Assessor.

They will:

• Be a registered practitioner in a GP surgery, OR is a specialist registrar, clinical assistant or consultant within the NHS OR an experienced non-medical prescriber.
• Agree to provide supervision, support, and shadowing opportunities for the student.
• Be familiar with the HCPC requirements and the need to achieve the learning outcomes.
• Have three years recent clinical experience for a group of patients or service users in the relevant field of practice.
• Have the support of the employing organisation.

Getting in touch

If you need more help or information, get in touch through our enquiry form