Prescribing for Healthcare Professionals (SCQF level 11) CPD Award
Course code: 90B2
Study mode: You take fewer course units/modules per week compared to full time.
Course type: CPD Award
International: Not eligible for international students
Study at: Inverness
Start in: August
Learning mode: You access classes and/or materials digitally., You are learning and being assessed in your place of employment.
Duration: Part time: 20 weeks
How: You attend classes at scheduled times, shown on your timetable., You complete course tasks independently. These may be set by your lecturer or chosen by you.
What is special about this course?
The aim of this CPD Award Prescribing for Healthcare Professionals (SCQF level 11 - equivalent to RQF level 7) (also known as a V300 course) is to prepare nurses, paramedics and allied health professionals (physiotherapists, chiropodists, podiatrists and therapeutic radiographers) to gain the qualification of Independent and Supplementary Prescriber and for diagnostic radiographers and dieticians as Supplementary Prescribers.
Successful completion of the course will allow practitioners to prescribe safely and competently within the context of their professional role and related legislation.
Special features
- Course delivery using the University’s virtual learning environment
- Opportunity for inter-professional learning
- Registration with professional regulatory body as a prescriber
- Forms part of the advanced practice route
- You must have valid registration on your professional register, maintained by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) or Health Care Professions Council (HCPC)
- A minimum of 1 year post-registration experience is required
- Evidence of your ability to study at degree level (minimum SCQF Level 9)
- For non-partner NHS Boards/private sector/self-employed applicants: evidence of your current PVG/Enhanced DBS/Access NI clearance in order to undertake this course
When completing the application form you will require:
- Full name and email address for a Designated Prescribing Practitioner (DPP), an umbrella term which includes the relevant professional/regulatory roles of Practice Assessor, Practice Educator or Designated Medical Practitioner (DMP). The DPP must be an active prescriber with a minimum of three years’ recent prescribing experience and have appropriate experience and competence to support and assess prescribing relevant to your intended scope of practice. We will request further information from your proposed DPP directly, and all arrangements are subject to Âé¶¹Ö±²¥ approval
- Full name and email address of a second experienced prescriber to act as your Practice Supervisor for the duration of the module. The Practice Supervisor must have a minimum of one year’s prescribing experience and be appropriately placed to support the development of your prescribing competence. We will request further information from your proposed Practice Supervisor directly, and all arrangements are subject to Âé¶¹Ö±²¥ approval
- For self-employed applicants only: you will be required to provide referee contact details (full name and email address)
- For all others: you will be required to give details of your employer (full name and email address) to give confirmation of support for completing the programme
- For NHS partners (NHS Highland, NHS Western Isles, NHS Orkney and NHS Shetland) and Scottish Ambulance Service: we will email your Organisational Prescribing Lead to notify that you have applied for this programme. For all other NHS Board applicants, you will be asked to provide details (full name and email address) of your Organisational Prescribing Lead
Please note:
- All proposed practice learning environments and supervision arrangements are subject to Âé¶¹Ö±²¥ approval. Providing details of a Designated Prescribing Practitioner and Practice Supervisor does not in itself confirm approval of the proposed arrangements
- Applicants working in independent or private practice are welcome to apply. You must be able to demonstrate access to an appropriate practice learning environment, suitable clinical governance arrangements, and appropriately qualified prescribing supervision relevant to your intended scope of practice. All proposed practice learning environments are subject to Âé¶¹Ö±²¥ approval
- Applicants intending to prescribe within specialist areas of practice, including non-surgical medical aesthetics, must demonstrate that your proposed practice learning environment and supervision arrangements provide appropriate opportunities to develop prescribing competence within your intended scope of practice. These arrangements will be considered individually through the programme's practice learning approval process
Applications for August 2026 and January 2027:
- Applications for August 2026 are now closed
- Applications for January 2027:
21st September 2026 - 30th October 2026:- applications will be open for our NHS Partners (NHS Highland, NHS Orkney, NHS Shetland and NHS Western Isles) and Scottish Ambulance Service only
- your Organisational Prescribing Lead will have the link for our application form
- 3rd November 2026 - 13th November 2026:
- subject to availability, applications will be open to all
- applications will close before 13th November 2026 if demand exceeds the number of places available
- There may be additional documentation required on a case-by-case basis and this may be a condition for entry
Applications for August 2027 and January 2028:
- dates still to be confirmed, please return to this page for further information
Submission of an application does not guarantee a place on the programme. Applications will only be considered once all required documentation has been received and found satisfactory, including confirmation of appropriate practice learning, supervision and assessment arrangements.
- Prescribing for healthcare professionals (40 credits)
How will I study my course?
- Part-time
- You will study through supported online learning, accessing materials via the university's virtual learning environment (VLE). 8 days of live seminars are delivered online and can be accessed remotely
- There is a requirement to undertake a minimum of 90 hours supervised practice-based learning within your own organisation/place of work. This will normally be undertaken within your own organisation/place of work but may include experience in other appropriate practice settings relevant to your scope of practice and learning needs, as agreed with your Practice Assessor (PA), Practice Educator (PE), Practice Supervisor (PS) and/or Designated Prescribing Practitioner (DPP), as appropriate
How long will my course last?
- Part-time: 20 weeks
- Centre for Rural Health Sciences, Inverness - and Stornoway - for administrative purposes, all applications will be processed through Inverness
Students wishing to study Prescribing for healthcare professionals as part of the MSc Advanced Nurse Practitioner/Professional Practice programme should be aware that you will normally be required to first complete ‘Clinical reasoning, judgement, and decision-making’, and 'Clinical assessment for advanced practice' modules (or equivalent) prior to selecting the Prescribing for healthcare professionals module. Please click here to apply via the course page.
Start date
- August
Fees
For all students normally domiciled in the UK, and assessed as such for fee status, the following fees apply:
This includes:
- EU nationals with settled or pre-settled status in the UK,
- EEA/Swiss nationals with settled status in the UK
- EEA/Swiss nationals with pre-settled status who are self-employed or migrant workers in the UK.
| Study mode | 2025-26 | 2026-27 |
|---|---|---|
| CPD award (40 credit module) | £1,500 | £1,590 |
This course is not available for international students requiring Student Route visa sponsorship to study in the UK and cannot be studied outside of the UK. For students living in the UK and assessed as international fee status, the following fees will apply:
This includes EEA/Swiss nationals with pre-settled status who are not self-employed or migrant workers in the UK.
| Study mode | 2025-26 | 2026-27 |
|---|---|---|
| CPD award (40 credit module) | £2,020 | £2,142 |
Funding
Âé¶¹Ö±²¥ has a number of scholarships, bursaries, awards, and discretionary fund opportunities available to new and current students. Please use the A-Z of funds or use the filter to see which ones may be relevant to you. All students are welcome to apply.
Further information on funding your studies is also available, please see the attached link or contact the relevant Âé¶¹Ö±²¥ partner.
Can I progress into further study?
You may wish to progress into further study on one of our postgraduate courses:
This course cannot be studied by international students either on-campus requiring a Student Route Visa or online from outside the UK - please see eligible courses for international applicants
You can apply if you are an international student who does not require a Student Route Visa, for example if you already have legal residency in the UK
Apply for Prescribing for Healthcare Professionals (SCQF level 11) CPD Award
Applications for January 2027 are now open for selected applicants, and will open to all on November 3rd 2026, subject to availability. Please see the Entry Requirements section above for more details
We are delighted that you are thinking about studying at the University of the Highlands and Islands. We operate a fair and open admissions system committed to equality of opportunity and non-discrimination. We consider all applications on merit and on the basis of ability to achieve, without discrimination on grounds of gender, age, disability, ethnicity and socio-economic background. We welcome applications from all prospective students and aim to provide appropriate and efficient services to students with disabilities.