Pharmacy education in the UK is undergoing a significant transformation, with independent prescribing now integrated into the Master of Pharmacy (MPharm) degree. From 2026, all new MPharm graduates will have the ability to prescribe medications once they join the register. As a Senior Lecturer in Pharmacy Practice at the University of Hertfordshire, I have the privilege of teaching the first cohort of final-year pharmacy students who will qualify as prescribers upon registration.
In my role as module leader for the new ‘Advanced Pharmacy Practice’ module, I guide students in developing key skills for safe prescribing, including structured patient consultations, teamwork, leadership, decision-making, and performing physical and diagnostic assessments.
This opportunity has been both exciting and challenging, allowing me to apply my practical experience to educate the next generation of pharmacists. As the module is newly established, I have had the privilege of designing it from scratch, creating lectures, workshops, simulations, and assessments that focus on prescribing.
My experience
With over five years of experience as a clinical pharmacist in General Practice, I have developed essential skills in leadership, teamwork, critical thinking, and decision-making skills which I now apply in my role as a module leader. As a confident independent prescriber, I bring current, evidence-based clinical knowledge into the classroom, offering students real-world case studies and insights into the challenges of prescribing. These challenges include navigating ethical dilemmas, managing complex patients with multiple conditions, and handling high-pressure situations.
Through interactive workshops and simulations, I share these experiences, immersing students in realistic scenarios they may face as prescribers. Using role-play exercises with mannequins and patient actors, students engage in clinical simulations to build their skills. With nearly three years of prescribing experience, I am well-equipped to teach students the key skills they need before beginning their foundation training.
Benefits and challenges of becoming a prescriber
Qualifying as a prescriber upon registration offers numerous benefits, including the ability to provide more holistic patient care through direct medication management. It also allows pharmacists to take on greater responsibility in clinical decision-making, fostering career growth and autonomy. Prescribing enhances interdisciplinary collaboration and broadens pharmacists’ scope, enabling them to assume roles traditionally held by doctors.
However, challenges include maintaining competence and confidence, particularly in complex cases. Newly qualified prescribers may encounter uncertainty when managing multimorbid patients and balancing treatments. They also bear significant legal and ethical responsibilities, ensuring safe, accurate prescribing while addressing ethical dilemmas, respecting patient autonomy, and adhering to regulations. Close supervision for new prescribers is essential to ensure patient safety and effective care.
Final-year pharmacy students have mixed views on becoming prescribers. Many are excited about the opportunity to enhance their employability and specialise in specific clinical areas, they also look forward to contributing to deprescribing and making autonomous decisions based on their clinical knowledge. However, some students have expressed concerns about the pressures of being a prescriber, particularly when working alongside other healthcare professionals. There are also worried about potential gaps in clinical knowledge and uncertainty about defining their scope of practice.
As someone passionate about prescribing education, I am currently researching prescribing confidence among fourth-year pharmacy students. This study aims to collect both quantitative and qualitative data to identify areas where students feel less confident. The findings will help inform and refine the pharmacy curriculum, focusing on providing additional support where needed.
Join the PDA
I highly encourage all pharmacy students to join the PDA. Their free student and trainee insurance covers work placements, part-time jobs, and the foundation year. PDA membership offers indemnity and legal defence insurance, access to legal experts, and membership to the PDA Union.
As new prescribers, it’s essential for pharmacists to have the right indemnity. The PDA provides valuable resources, including the ‘Boundaries of Clinical Practice Statement (BCPS)’ and competency development plan, to help pharmacists prescribe within their scope. They also offer helpful advice and FAQs for both prescribing and non-prescribing pharmacists in primary care.
This is a pivotal moment for the pharmacy profession, with pharmacists taking on a more active role in patient care from registration. While this transition brings new challenges; strong support, supervision, and ongoing professional development is essential. This will ensure newly qualified prescribers can prescribe safely, confidently, and within their competence, ultimately benefiting patient care and the healthcare system.
Shurti Patel Aina
Alima Batchelor, PDA Head of Policy commented, ‘Whilst the PDA want to encourage pharmacists to make the most of their unique skills and competences, we see what can happen when undue pressure is brought to bear on new and inexperienced prescribers. We would urge caution to those first joining the register.
We are working with relevant stakeholders to ensure that there will be an appropriate framework in place to support registrants as they embark upon their prescribing careers.’
PDA members who are concerned about support or supervision can contact the Member Support Centre for advice.
Learn more
- Initial education and training of pharmacists – reform programme
- Advice and FAQs for prescribing and non-prescribing pharmacists in primary care
- Boundaries of my Clinical Practice Statement (BCPS) and competency development plan
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Membership is FREE to pharmacy students, trainee pharmacists, and for the first three months of being newly qualified.
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