Overview

Our Pharmacist Independent Prescribing (PIP) postgraduate course is part-time, flexible and competency-based. This is a GPhC accredited course for qualified pharmacists wanting to prescribe autonomously for conditions within their clinical competence.

Key benefits

We are ranked top 6 in the UK for Pharmacy & Pharmacology (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026).
Our teaching is led by experienced independent prescribing pharmacists and academic staff, ensuring a strong balance between clinical practice and academic excellence.
The course combines multi-professional, university-based study days with flexible e-learning and work-based education, allowing you to integrate learning directly into your clinical role.
This course is accredited by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC), ensuring it meets the highest professional standards.
Course content and assessments are designed to reflect the most up-to-date clinical practice, supporting you as a newly qualified pharmacist prescriber in your workplace. In addition, the programme includes dedicated disease-specific teaching sessions delivered by specialist clinicians in their fields from King’s Health Partners, providing valuable expert insight into real-world patient care.
We are part of King’s Health Partners Academic Health Sciences Centre (AHSC), a pioneering collaboration between King’s College London, Guy’s and St Thomas’, King’s College Hospital, and South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trusts.

Course essentials

This course aims to deliver competent pharmacist prescribers who can provide an independent and supplementary prescribing service which is safe and effective and takes into account the needs of patients, the professions and the relevant health organisations.

We will:

Meet the requirements of the GPhC indicative syllabus for pharmacist independent prescribing
Support experienced practitioners to review and reflect on their current practice, to enable them to determine what skills, knowledge and attitudes they need to develop in order to become independent prescribers
Enable practitioners to evolve an expertise in the art and science of prescribing

This course will enable healthcare professionals to take on the role of an independent and/or supplementary prescriber. The GPhC publish an indicative syllabus and learning outcomes which informs the curriculum.

The GPhC mandates a minimum of 26 days teaching and learning and a minimum of 12 (x 7.5 h) days in practice spent under the supervision of a designated prescribing practitioner (DPP).

For cohort dates and application deadlines, please see the 'Teaching & Modules' tab.

Taught in

Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine

School of Cancer & Pharmaceutical Sciences

Administrative bodies

Course accreditation

Reviewed, inspected and accredited by the General Pharmaceutical Council

Regulating body

Application closing date guidance

Please click the relevant link in the table below to access Key Dates, for the relevant cohort that you wish to join. This document contains dates for all taught sessions, the DPP session, assessment days and online sessions.


Application deadlines for 2026/27		Key Dates
Cohort	Deadline for applications	Key Dates
September 2026	Monday 13 July 2026	Please view for details

We open for applications on 1 June 2026.

Please note:

If you are a funded applicant, please apply via: Postgraduate Certificate in Independent Prescribing (Practice Certificate) NHSE (Part-time)

If you are a self-funded applicant, please apply via: Pharmacist Independent Prescribing PGCert (Part-time)

If you are a funded applicant, please apply via: Postgraduate Certificate in Independent Prescribing (Practice Certificate) NHSE (Part-time)

If you are a self-funded applicant, please apply via: Pharmacist Independent Prescribing PGCert (Part-time)

The next intake is September 2026. Applications will be open Monday 1st of June and will close Monday 13^th July.

Base campuses

We will use a delivery method that will ensure students have a rich, exciting experience from the start. Face to face teaching will be complemented and supported with innovative technology so that students also experience elements of digital learning and assessment.

Guy’s Campus

Located near London Bridge, Guy’s Campus offers a dynamic yet focused environment, ideal for health and science students. Offering cutting-edge labs and a close-knit academic community, at the heart of one of London’s most vibrant and historic areas.

Waterloo - students walking outside Franklin-Wilkins building

Waterloo Campus

Our Waterloo campus is home to the Florence Nightingale Faculty Nursing & Midwifery, and a vibrant hub for health, social science, and law students. Located moments from the iconic landmarks of South Bank and just a short walk to the Stand campus.